You can get to D2L from the MSU Mankato home page, where a left-hand sidebar menu link brings you to this login page:
https://d2l.mnsu.edu/
After you log in to D2l, you may need to click the plus sign next to the current semester. Then you see your courses. From there, click this course, and you will see news items. Check there as well as here for news. Some D2L content- or discussion-specific issues may be posted there.
Right now on D2L under content, you can also find scanned pages from the essays, "When Learning Hurts," and "Shades of Green," from the Blair Reader, 4th edition, a book some of you don't yet have. I said I'd try to scan those two essays, and yes, they're scanned. Find 'em now, on D2L.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Due tonight (8/30) & next week (9/6)
Due tonight (8/30) & next week (9/6)
Due tonight:
Week 1: 8/30:
1) On course blog, go to "First Things" (right-hand sidebar menu). Click. Read *all* entries listed.
2) After reading the above listed "First Things" blog entries, pick 6 favorites,
*not* including
welcome note,
syllabus,
tentative assignment list,
plan (how this class is organized),
What his past students say about Mr. Fried, or
What is this instructor like?.
3) Email the instructor, saying you have read and understand the course policies from the syllabus, including the policy on honesty/plagiarism: paul.fried@mnsu.edu
4) For each of these 6 favorites, as an exercise, write a brief 1-paragraph summary. For more information on summary assignments, see the previous blog post at this URL:
http://en101fried.blogspot.com/2007/08/summary-assignment.html
Also see your textbook, The College Writer's Handbook, chapter 1D, p.9 for more information on writing brief summaries.
4. Post these six brief summary paragraphs to the appropriate discussion forum on D2L.
- To use D2L, go to the main Universtiy home page and look in the left-hand sidebar menu.
- Click "D2L." This brings you to the D2L logon page.
- Put in your username, which is usually either your last name, or some shortened form of it, followed by the first letter of your first name (so John Smith's username would be "smithj").
- Enter your password and press enter.
- This should let you in to your main D2L page. This will display a list of the classes you're enrolled in.
- Find and click the name of this class from the list of your classes.
- Next, look at the second horizontal menu bar near the top, which includes Course Home / Content / Discussions (etc.) as options.
- Click "Discussions." One choice is "First things summaries." Click that.
- Midway toward the top on the right-hand side, you'll see a black button with white letters that says, "Add Message." Click that.
- Then you should be ready to cut-and-paste your summary into a discussion message. Cut and paste the text from a word-processor by highlighting the text and pressing Ctrl-C to copy, then click the start of the blank D2L document and press Ctrl-V to paste. Apple computers may require slightly different keystrokes.
- Press "submit" when you're ready to submit the summaries.
5. For the group of summaries, do one summary self-evaluation, found at this URL/link:
http://en101fried.blogspot.com/2007/08/self-evaluation-for-summary.html
....................................................
....................................................
Due next week:
Week 2: Thursday, 9/6
....
Due:
1. Read "When Learning Hurts," by Aaron M. Schatzman, BR 142-145.
a) Do the "Response Assignment" for this reading.
b) Do the long summary exercise for this reading.
Post results of 1.a. and 1.b. to the appropriate discussion forum on D2L, listed under the "First Things" discussion forum.
c. Reply to your summary by posting a brief self-evaluation, found at this URL/link:
http://en101fried.blogspot.com/2007/08/self-evaluation-for-summary.html
d. Reply to your response by posting a brief self-evaluation found at this link/URL (not the same as the summary self-evaluation):
http://en101fried.blogspot.com/2007/08/response-self-eval.html
....
Below is the start of the first reading and essay unit:
UNIT 1: GLOBAL WARMING ISSUES: Explain a Concept
Focus: Classification of concepts & sub-concepts.
Skim table of contents of SMGW and CWH; skim through indexes in back.
....
Due:
2. a.Read SMGW, Ch.5: Basic Features: Explaining a Concept (2 pages).
b. Write brief a summary of SMGW Ch.5 Basic Features. Include all the features; don't generalize and leave any out.
c. Post results to the appropriate discussion forum on D2L under the "unit 1" discussion forum listings, in the forum titled
"Summary of Basic Features: Explaining a Concept (SMGW)."
d. Reply to your summary by posting a brief self-evaluation, found at this URL/link:
http://en101fried.blogspot.com/2007/08/self-evaluation-for-summary.html
....
Also - skim the Guide to Writing, SMGW ch.5.
....
Due:
3. Jediah Purdy, "Shades of Green," BR p.625.
Do a response & a summary of the Purdy essay.
Post results to the appropriate discussion forum on D2L
listed under Discussions, Unit 1.
Do self-evaluations of your summary and response to Purdy, as before, selecting the correct self-evaluation to be used with each.
....
In class:
Start Film: An Inconvenient Truth.
Take notes on personal anecdotes, rhetorical strategies.
....
In class:
We will preview and assign sections of IPCC Report FAQs for students to read & summarize for next week.
Due tonight:
Week 1: 8/30:
1) On course blog, go to "First Things" (right-hand sidebar menu). Click. Read *all* entries listed.
2) After reading the above listed "First Things" blog entries, pick 6 favorites,
*not* including
welcome note,
syllabus,
tentative assignment list,
plan (how this class is organized),
What his past students say about Mr. Fried, or
What is this instructor like?.
3) Email the instructor, saying you have read and understand the course policies from the syllabus, including the policy on honesty/plagiarism: paul.fried@mnsu.edu
4) For each of these 6 favorites, as an exercise, write a brief 1-paragraph summary. For more information on summary assignments, see the previous blog post at this URL:
http://en101fried.blogspot.com/2007/08/summary-assignment.html
Also see your textbook, The College Writer's Handbook, chapter 1D, p.9 for more information on writing brief summaries.
4. Post these six brief summary paragraphs to the appropriate discussion forum on D2L.
- To use D2L, go to the main Universtiy home page and look in the left-hand sidebar menu.
- Click "D2L." This brings you to the D2L logon page.
- Put in your username, which is usually either your last name, or some shortened form of it, followed by the first letter of your first name (so John Smith's username would be "smithj").
- Enter your password and press enter.
- This should let you in to your main D2L page. This will display a list of the classes you're enrolled in.
- Find and click the name of this class from the list of your classes.
- Next, look at the second horizontal menu bar near the top, which includes Course Home / Content / Discussions (etc.) as options.
- Click "Discussions." One choice is "First things summaries." Click that.
- Midway toward the top on the right-hand side, you'll see a black button with white letters that says, "Add Message." Click that.
- Then you should be ready to cut-and-paste your summary into a discussion message. Cut and paste the text from a word-processor by highlighting the text and pressing Ctrl-C to copy, then click the start of the blank D2L document and press Ctrl-V to paste. Apple computers may require slightly different keystrokes.
- Press "submit" when you're ready to submit the summaries.
5. For the group of summaries, do one summary self-evaluation, found at this URL/link:
http://en101fried.blogspot.com/2007/08/self-evaluation-for-summary.html
....................................................
....................................................
Due next week:
Week 2: Thursday, 9/6
....
Due:
1. Read "When Learning Hurts," by Aaron M. Schatzman, BR 142-145.
a) Do the "Response Assignment" for this reading.
b) Do the long summary exercise for this reading.
Post results of 1.a. and 1.b. to the appropriate discussion forum on D2L, listed under the "First Things" discussion forum.
c. Reply to your summary by posting a brief self-evaluation, found at this URL/link:
http://en101fried.blogspot.com/2007/08/self-evaluation-for-summary.html
d. Reply to your response by posting a brief self-evaluation found at this link/URL (not the same as the summary self-evaluation):
http://en101fried.blogspot.com/2007/08/response-self-eval.html
....
Below is the start of the first reading and essay unit:
UNIT 1: GLOBAL WARMING ISSUES: Explain a Concept
Focus: Classification of concepts & sub-concepts.
Skim table of contents of SMGW and CWH; skim through indexes in back.
....
Due:
2. a.Read SMGW, Ch.5: Basic Features: Explaining a Concept (2 pages).
b. Write brief a summary of SMGW Ch.5 Basic Features. Include all the features; don't generalize and leave any out.
c. Post results to the appropriate discussion forum on D2L under the "unit 1" discussion forum listings, in the forum titled
"Summary of Basic Features: Explaining a Concept (SMGW)."
d. Reply to your summary by posting a brief self-evaluation, found at this URL/link:
http://en101fried.blogspot.com/2007/08/self-evaluation-for-summary.html
....
Also - skim the Guide to Writing, SMGW ch.5.
....
Due:
3. Jediah Purdy, "Shades of Green," BR p.625.
Do a response & a summary of the Purdy essay.
Post results to the appropriate discussion forum on D2L
listed under Discussions, Unit 1.
Do self-evaluations of your summary and response to Purdy, as before, selecting the correct self-evaluation to be used with each.
....
In class:
Start Film: An Inconvenient Truth.
Take notes on personal anecdotes, rhetorical strategies.
....
In class:
We will preview and assign sections of IPCC Report FAQs for students to read & summarize for next week.
Summary Self-evaluation
Directions: Self-evaluation for Summary
After you post your summary assignments to the designated discussion boards on D2L, click one of them to view it, and notice that along the bottom of the screen one of the buttons has the word "reply" on it. Click that, and paste this self-evaluation form into the reply. Look over your summary in another screen if you need to, and rate it in the self-evaluation, from 1-5 on various questions. Be honest: This is an ungraded, pass-fail assignment, so giving yourself "5's" for every category will hurt you far more than it will help you. Be honest, and trust that the process will help you learn and improve in your writing.
- Also see the link for summary suggestions. These might point out some potential errors.
- When you're done with the ratings, delete these directions at the top. Also delete the extra, lower-case directions in the form below.
_ HOW WELL YOU SUMMARIZED THE MAIN POINTS OF THE SOURCE
Replacing the blank to the left, on a scale of 1-5, rate yourself on how well you summarized the sources main points.
_ DID YOU MISS ANY MAIN POINTS, OR ONLY NAME MAIN POINTS WITHOUT EXPLAINING EACH A BIT?
On a scale of 1-5, rate how thorough you were in naming all main points, and explaining each a bit. To do this well, pay attention to headings, if any, as they often chart out the outline of the reading's main ideas. Otherwise, sketch out an informal outline or list of main ideas as you read. Sometimes you have to consider the main idea of each paragraph when making such a list. Other times, it works better to see certain paragraphs in groups of larger main ideas.
_ WERE YOU CONCISE?
On a scale of 1-5, rate how concise you were, meaning "to the point," not explaining things in too much depth for a summary, and not getting off the point.
_ FOR LONG SUMMARIES ONLY: INTRODUCTION AND PARAGRAPHS
If this was a long summary, rate yourself 1-5 on the following question: Did you have a smooth and clear introduction, and break the summary into paragraphs marking main groups of ideas?
_ FOR LONG SUMMARIES ONLY: INTEGRATED QUOTES, PARAPHRASE AND CITATIONS
If this was a long summary, rate yourself 1-5 on how well you integrated quotes, used citations and paraphrase correctly.
_ QUALITY OF YOUR LIST OF WORKS CITED
On a scale of 0-5, rate the quality of your list of works cited (0 if you didn't provide one), and how correctly you formatted it according to MLA guidelines.
_ HOW WELL YOU FOLLOWED THE DIRECTIONS OF THE ASSIGNMENT
On a scale of 1-5, rate how well you followed the directions for the summary assignment, answering each question. If there were some areas you skipped, name them and explain why you skipped them.
_ HOW WELL YOU WROTE IN COMPLETE SENTENCES AND STANDARD ENGLISH
On a scale of 1-5, rate the quality of your writing, your sentences, transitions, grammar, spelling and punctuation.
After you post your summary assignments to the designated discussion boards on D2L, click one of them to view it, and notice that along the bottom of the screen one of the buttons has the word "reply" on it. Click that, and paste this self-evaluation form into the reply. Look over your summary in another screen if you need to, and rate it in the self-evaluation, from 1-5 on various questions. Be honest: This is an ungraded, pass-fail assignment, so giving yourself "5's" for every category will hurt you far more than it will help you. Be honest, and trust that the process will help you learn and improve in your writing.
- Also see the link for summary suggestions. These might point out some potential errors.
- When you're done with the ratings, delete these directions at the top. Also delete the extra, lower-case directions in the form below.
_ HOW WELL YOU SUMMARIZED THE MAIN POINTS OF THE SOURCE
Replacing the blank to the left, on a scale of 1-5, rate yourself on how well you summarized the sources main points.
_ DID YOU MISS ANY MAIN POINTS, OR ONLY NAME MAIN POINTS WITHOUT EXPLAINING EACH A BIT?
On a scale of 1-5, rate how thorough you were in naming all main points, and explaining each a bit. To do this well, pay attention to headings, if any, as they often chart out the outline of the reading's main ideas. Otherwise, sketch out an informal outline or list of main ideas as you read. Sometimes you have to consider the main idea of each paragraph when making such a list. Other times, it works better to see certain paragraphs in groups of larger main ideas.
_ WERE YOU CONCISE?
On a scale of 1-5, rate how concise you were, meaning "to the point," not explaining things in too much depth for a summary, and not getting off the point.
_ FOR LONG SUMMARIES ONLY: INTRODUCTION AND PARAGRAPHS
If this was a long summary, rate yourself 1-5 on the following question: Did you have a smooth and clear introduction, and break the summary into paragraphs marking main groups of ideas?
_ FOR LONG SUMMARIES ONLY: INTEGRATED QUOTES, PARAPHRASE AND CITATIONS
If this was a long summary, rate yourself 1-5 on how well you integrated quotes, used citations and paraphrase correctly.
_ QUALITY OF YOUR LIST OF WORKS CITED
On a scale of 0-5, rate the quality of your list of works cited (0 if you didn't provide one), and how correctly you formatted it according to MLA guidelines.
_ HOW WELL YOU FOLLOWED THE DIRECTIONS OF THE ASSIGNMENT
On a scale of 1-5, rate how well you followed the directions for the summary assignment, answering each question. If there were some areas you skipped, name them and explain why you skipped them.
_ HOW WELL YOU WROTE IN COMPLETE SENTENCES AND STANDARD ENGLISH
On a scale of 1-5, rate the quality of your writing, your sentences, transitions, grammar, spelling and punctuation.
Response self-evaluation
Directions: Self-evaluation for Source response
- After you post your response assignments to the designated discussion boards on D2L, click one of them to view it, and notice that along the bottom of the screen one of the buttons has the word "reply" on it. Click that, and paste this self-evaluation form into the reply. Look over your completed response assignment in another screen if you need to, and rate it in the self-evaluation, from 1-5 on various questions. And be honest: This is an ungraded, pass-fail assignment, so giving yourself "5's" for every category will hurt you far more than it will help you. Be honest, and trust that the process will help you learn and improve in your writing.
- When you're done with the ratings, delete these directions at the top, and also delete the estra, lower-case directions below in the form, along with the extra blank spaces between questions.
_ HOW MUCH YOU LEARNED FROM THE SOURCE
Replacing the blank to the left, on a scale of 1-5, rate yourself on how much you learned from the source:
_ HOW HELPFUL THE SOURCE WAS
On a scale of 1-5, rate how helpful the source was in providing information and insight from which you could learn:
_ QUALITY OF QUESTIONS, AGREEMENTS, DISAGREEMENTS AND ADDITIONS YOU VOICED
On a scale of 1-5, rate the quality of the questions you raised regarding the source, the agreements and disagreements you explained, and the additions you suggested.
_ HOW WELL-WRITTEN THE SOURCE WAS
On a scale of 1-5, rate how well-written the source was, modeling things from which you might learn as a writer:
_ HOW WELL YOU FOLLOWED THE DIRECTIONS OF THE ASSIGNMENT
On a scale of 1-5, rate how well you followed the directions for the response assignment, answering each question. If there were some areas you skipped, name them and explain why you skipped them.
_ HOW WELL YOU WROTE IN COMPLETE SENTENCES AND STANDARD ENGLISH
On a scale of 1-5, rate the quality of your writing, your sentences, transitions, grammar, spelling and punctuation.
- After you post your response assignments to the designated discussion boards on D2L, click one of them to view it, and notice that along the bottom of the screen one of the buttons has the word "reply" on it. Click that, and paste this self-evaluation form into the reply. Look over your completed response assignment in another screen if you need to, and rate it in the self-evaluation, from 1-5 on various questions. And be honest: This is an ungraded, pass-fail assignment, so giving yourself "5's" for every category will hurt you far more than it will help you. Be honest, and trust that the process will help you learn and improve in your writing.
- When you're done with the ratings, delete these directions at the top, and also delete the estra, lower-case directions below in the form, along with the extra blank spaces between questions.
_ HOW MUCH YOU LEARNED FROM THE SOURCE
Replacing the blank to the left, on a scale of 1-5, rate yourself on how much you learned from the source:
_ HOW HELPFUL THE SOURCE WAS
On a scale of 1-5, rate how helpful the source was in providing information and insight from which you could learn:
_ QUALITY OF QUESTIONS, AGREEMENTS, DISAGREEMENTS AND ADDITIONS YOU VOICED
On a scale of 1-5, rate the quality of the questions you raised regarding the source, the agreements and disagreements you explained, and the additions you suggested.
_ HOW WELL-WRITTEN THE SOURCE WAS
On a scale of 1-5, rate how well-written the source was, modeling things from which you might learn as a writer:
_ HOW WELL YOU FOLLOWED THE DIRECTIONS OF THE ASSIGNMENT
On a scale of 1-5, rate how well you followed the directions for the response assignment, answering each question. If there were some areas you skipped, name them and explain why you skipped them.
_ HOW WELL YOU WROTE IN COMPLETE SENTENCES AND STANDARD ENGLISH
On a scale of 1-5, rate the quality of your writing, your sentences, transitions, grammar, spelling and punctuation.
Summary Assignment Resources
Summary Assignment
Summary Self-Evaluation
Below are some suggestions to an early summary assignment. If you feel you're struggling with the summary assignment, read through these again.
Summary Suggestions:
Before you post your first summaries, read through these suggestions and see if there are some things you might improve. As many as half of every class makes some large mistakes in writing their first summaries, and you might be asked to do it over if you're way off. Examples: Some students think that paraphrase is the same as summary, so they paraphrase the source instead of summarizing it. Others jumble up the order of ideas in the original source, or leave out a main idea or two.
So look over your summaries again before posting them. See if there are some improvements you might make. Even if you posted the summary already to D2L, you can either change it, or post a reply to the original summary, and show changes there.
Some things to watch for when you do your summaries and self-evaluations:
1. Inaccurate self-evaluation ratings:
Some students rate yourselves too high or too low in their self-evaluations.
Don't confuse self-evaluations with grading. If you hope for at least a "B" in this class, it won't help to give yourself all "4" ratings. Self-evaluations only help if they accuratly reflect how well you do in various areas, and when they're not accurate, they identify blind spots in your judgment that have to be addressed.
........................................
2. Being concise:
Another way to look at the idea of being concise in a summary is to treat it like a contest with only two rules:
a. The winner has to include all the main points in the summary, without leaving any out.
b. The winner is the one who writes the shortest summary, using the lowest number of words, while not breaking rule a.
........................................
3. Reading carefully before summarizing:
Some of those who summarize "building a house" may benefit from looking also at "two ways to improve your writing." Students often forget to deal enough with improving ideas and outline, so they read the house analogy to conform to some other understanding of the writing process, instead of reading it carefully for what it actually says.
So in other words, some summaries misinterpret the analogy of writing as compared to building a house. I mentioned in some blog posts that many first-year college students have not been taught to think enough about the strength of your ideas, and how well they're organized, and instead, have been taught to think too much about less important steps in the writing process.
Some students take those kinds of innacurate ideas about writing, and imposing them on their summaries of "building a house."
In this way, when you write a summary, you have to be careful that your summary is accurate and actually saying in a nutshell what the sourse said, and not imposing your own pre-existing understandings on the source.
Singers, poets and philosophers have observed that we often hear what we want to hear, instead of listening carefully and actually hearing what is being said. Listening carefully to the source is essential.
.......................................
4. Summarize while looking at the original text, not from memory.
This is an important point, and relates to #3 above: Don't read a source, close the book or click away from the web page, and then summarize from memory. That method will always be a bit more sloppy and inaccurate.
Instead, always have the source available right in front of you as you summarize.
As I say below in #7, sketch out a list or informal outline of the main ideas in the source, and use this as a map for your own summary.
......................................
5. Proof-read carefully
Some students forget to proof-read your summaries very carefully. If you go back and read your sentences out loud, you might notice that words are missing, or that you started writing one sentence, but then seem to have changed your mind and finished as a different kind of sentence without revising or deleting parts of the sentence you'd started.
Even if editing isn't the most important step in good writing, you should not leave it out, just as a housing developer doesn't forget about siding, paint, and landscaping.
.......................................
6. Some students confuse "summary" with "paraphrase": to summarize is to state the main points brielfy, simply, in as few words as possible without missing any main ideas. A summary is always briefer than the original.
To paraphrase, on the other hand, is to restate the original in your own words.
This is sometimes short, or can be as long as the original, or even longer.
Some students find themselves paraphrasing instead of summarizing.
........................................
7. Summaries usually mirror the structure of the original:
Many students organize their summaries in ways that are very different from the structure of the text you were summarizing. This is to be avoided.
Summaries usually follow the original structure more closely, and it's actually easier to write them that way. Look down the original and state the main points, in the original order, as briefly and to-the-point as possible. In preparation for writing a summary, it can be good to sketch out a list or informal outline that reflects the structure of the original.
.......................................
8. Don't forget to include self-evaluations in reply to your summary posts.
If you forget, look again at the course blog ( www.en100fried.blogspot.com ).
Look in the upper right at the right-hand sidebar menu, titled "where to find it."
Right under "summary assignment," you should see "summary self-eval." Click that.
Read the directions, and copy the part that begins in capital letters into a reply to your summary.
If this is unclear, ask for help from someone at the IT help desk in the basement of the library, or ask a classmate for help, or ask me next week.
Summary Self-Evaluation
Below are some suggestions to an early summary assignment. If you feel you're struggling with the summary assignment, read through these again.
Summary Suggestions:
Before you post your first summaries, read through these suggestions and see if there are some things you might improve. As many as half of every class makes some large mistakes in writing their first summaries, and you might be asked to do it over if you're way off. Examples: Some students think that paraphrase is the same as summary, so they paraphrase the source instead of summarizing it. Others jumble up the order of ideas in the original source, or leave out a main idea or two.
So look over your summaries again before posting them. See if there are some improvements you might make. Even if you posted the summary already to D2L, you can either change it, or post a reply to the original summary, and show changes there.
Some things to watch for when you do your summaries and self-evaluations:
1. Inaccurate self-evaluation ratings:
Some students rate yourselves too high or too low in their self-evaluations.
Don't confuse self-evaluations with grading. If you hope for at least a "B" in this class, it won't help to give yourself all "4" ratings. Self-evaluations only help if they accuratly reflect how well you do in various areas, and when they're not accurate, they identify blind spots in your judgment that have to be addressed.
........................................
2. Being concise:
Another way to look at the idea of being concise in a summary is to treat it like a contest with only two rules:
a. The winner has to include all the main points in the summary, without leaving any out.
b. The winner is the one who writes the shortest summary, using the lowest number of words, while not breaking rule a.
........................................
3. Reading carefully before summarizing:
Some of those who summarize "building a house" may benefit from looking also at "two ways to improve your writing." Students often forget to deal enough with improving ideas and outline, so they read the house analogy to conform to some other understanding of the writing process, instead of reading it carefully for what it actually says.
So in other words, some summaries misinterpret the analogy of writing as compared to building a house. I mentioned in some blog posts that many first-year college students have not been taught to think enough about the strength of your ideas, and how well they're organized, and instead, have been taught to think too much about less important steps in the writing process.
Some students take those kinds of innacurate ideas about writing, and imposing them on their summaries of "building a house."
In this way, when you write a summary, you have to be careful that your summary is accurate and actually saying in a nutshell what the sourse said, and not imposing your own pre-existing understandings on the source.
Singers, poets and philosophers have observed that we often hear what we want to hear, instead of listening carefully and actually hearing what is being said. Listening carefully to the source is essential.
.......................................
4. Summarize while looking at the original text, not from memory.
This is an important point, and relates to #3 above: Don't read a source, close the book or click away from the web page, and then summarize from memory. That method will always be a bit more sloppy and inaccurate.
Instead, always have the source available right in front of you as you summarize.
As I say below in #7, sketch out a list or informal outline of the main ideas in the source, and use this as a map for your own summary.
......................................
5. Proof-read carefully
Some students forget to proof-read your summaries very carefully. If you go back and read your sentences out loud, you might notice that words are missing, or that you started writing one sentence, but then seem to have changed your mind and finished as a different kind of sentence without revising or deleting parts of the sentence you'd started.
Even if editing isn't the most important step in good writing, you should not leave it out, just as a housing developer doesn't forget about siding, paint, and landscaping.
.......................................
6. Some students confuse "summary" with "paraphrase": to summarize is to state the main points brielfy, simply, in as few words as possible without missing any main ideas. A summary is always briefer than the original.
To paraphrase, on the other hand, is to restate the original in your own words.
This is sometimes short, or can be as long as the original, or even longer.
Some students find themselves paraphrasing instead of summarizing.
........................................
7. Summaries usually mirror the structure of the original:
Many students organize their summaries in ways that are very different from the structure of the text you were summarizing. This is to be avoided.
Summaries usually follow the original structure more closely, and it's actually easier to write them that way. Look down the original and state the main points, in the original order, as briefly and to-the-point as possible. In preparation for writing a summary, it can be good to sketch out a list or informal outline that reflects the structure of the original.
.......................................
8. Don't forget to include self-evaluations in reply to your summary posts.
If you forget, look again at the course blog ( www.en100fried.blogspot.com ).
Look in the upper right at the right-hand sidebar menu, titled "where to find it."
Right under "summary assignment," you should see "summary self-eval." Click that.
Read the directions, and copy the part that begins in capital letters into a reply to your summary.
If this is unclear, ask for help from someone at the IT help desk in the basement of the library, or ask a classmate for help, or ask me next week.
Summary Assignment
SUMMARY ASSIGNMENT:
After reading an assignment, watching a film, or hearing an audio presentation, students will often be asked to summarize, in writing, what the source covered. This is an ungraded-but-required, or pass-fail assignment. Good work on this assignment will help prepare you to think and write better about these and other topics later on in essays for which you’ll be graded. Failure to do adequate work on this assignment will result in your being required to do it over, and/or risking no credit and possibly having it affect your course grade. Minor mistakes are OK, carelessness and laziness isn’t.
Purposes:
1) Preparation for other college work: In other college classes, summarizing will come in handy, not only when taking notes and studying for tests, but also for classes that require summaries or annotated bibliographies.
2) A low-pressure way to acquire fluency in the skills: Many skills learned and/or used in this assignment are practice for integrating quotes and using citations in graded papers, so it’s better to work hard and learn how to do it well in the pass-fail summaries, where it’s OK to make a few mistakes, than to blow it in the graded assignments
Guidelines common to short and long summaries:
1) Summary, not opinion: Don't use the words "I/me/my" at all, and don't tell your opinion of the source. A summary simply represents the main points of the source, not your opinion, not whether you agree or disagree.
2) Don't short-change the source. In other words, if you read something that talks about the twelve steps for building a personal computer, and if the source breaks these steps down into two beginning steps, then three, steps, then a group of four steps, then two, and then one final step, don't summarize it by saying, "The author explains the twelve steps for building a PC," and leave it at that.
3) Include a list of works cited, even if you summarize only one source. If you have no clue how to do this, you may skip it the first week or two, but after that, find the sections in the textbooks (SMGW and CWH) that deal with MLA format for lists of works cited, and start to try it. We'll trouble-shoot your mistakes as we go.
4) Groups of readings and longer Lists of Works Cited: Sometimes we will have a number of readings due on one day, and in those cases, you will be asked to include all of them in your list of works cited, even if you are not required to summarize every reading.
Guidelines for short, 1-paragraph summaries:
1) For short, 1-paragraph summaries, see CWH, ch. 1D, p.9. Sometimes a more general one sentence summary works well as an opening sentence, followed by summing up each main point in one or two sentences, in such one-paragraph summaries.
Guidelines for longer summaries with quotes and introduction:
1) Introductory sentence or sentences: Introduce your summary clearly with a sentence or two that indicates the source you're summarizing, and points to a general topic of the reading. Example: "In the second chapter of Mark Dorloff's second book, Wired, Tired and Addicted, Dorloff explains four of the symptoms of video game addiction, and then gives a brief and vivid sketch describing each, often with testimony from addicts and parents." *Do not* start a summary with a sentence such as "It was about…."
2) Distinguish between paraphrase and quote: At first, we will not quote from the source but simply summarize it, or explain "in a nutshell" (briefly) what the main points of the source are. To do this, you have to paraphrase, or put briefly into your own words, the main point or points. Later we'll integrate quotes from the source, include MLA (Modern Language Association) style citations, and a list of works cited. When quoting, use either quote marks or block quotes.
3) Use paragraphs. A rule of thumb is that a paragraph contains one main idea. In an essay, it usually has more than one sentence. If the idea is too brief, or can be stated in just one sentence, occasionally you can group a few ideas in the same sentence. If your summary gets long, it may start to become plain that you should break it up into more than one paragraph, depending on the length of the source and the number of main points to be covered.
When complete, post one copy to the correct designated discussion forum on D2L, and for classes that do not meet regularly in a computer lab, print up another copy, and bring the printed copies of every reaction and summary assignment to class during that 3-week unit.
After reading an assignment, watching a film, or hearing an audio presentation, students will often be asked to summarize, in writing, what the source covered. This is an ungraded-but-required, or pass-fail assignment. Good work on this assignment will help prepare you to think and write better about these and other topics later on in essays for which you’ll be graded. Failure to do adequate work on this assignment will result in your being required to do it over, and/or risking no credit and possibly having it affect your course grade. Minor mistakes are OK, carelessness and laziness isn’t.
Purposes:
1) Preparation for other college work: In other college classes, summarizing will come in handy, not only when taking notes and studying for tests, but also for classes that require summaries or annotated bibliographies.
2) A low-pressure way to acquire fluency in the skills: Many skills learned and/or used in this assignment are practice for integrating quotes and using citations in graded papers, so it’s better to work hard and learn how to do it well in the pass-fail summaries, where it’s OK to make a few mistakes, than to blow it in the graded assignments
Guidelines common to short and long summaries:
1) Summary, not opinion: Don't use the words "I/me/my" at all, and don't tell your opinion of the source. A summary simply represents the main points of the source, not your opinion, not whether you agree or disagree.
2) Don't short-change the source. In other words, if you read something that talks about the twelve steps for building a personal computer, and if the source breaks these steps down into two beginning steps, then three, steps, then a group of four steps, then two, and then one final step, don't summarize it by saying, "The author explains the twelve steps for building a PC," and leave it at that.
3) Include a list of works cited, even if you summarize only one source. If you have no clue how to do this, you may skip it the first week or two, but after that, find the sections in the textbooks (SMGW and CWH) that deal with MLA format for lists of works cited, and start to try it. We'll trouble-shoot your mistakes as we go.
4) Groups of readings and longer Lists of Works Cited: Sometimes we will have a number of readings due on one day, and in those cases, you will be asked to include all of them in your list of works cited, even if you are not required to summarize every reading.
Guidelines for short, 1-paragraph summaries:
1) For short, 1-paragraph summaries, see CWH, ch. 1D, p.9. Sometimes a more general one sentence summary works well as an opening sentence, followed by summing up each main point in one or two sentences, in such one-paragraph summaries.
Guidelines for longer summaries with quotes and introduction:
1) Introductory sentence or sentences: Introduce your summary clearly with a sentence or two that indicates the source you're summarizing, and points to a general topic of the reading. Example: "In the second chapter of Mark Dorloff's second book, Wired, Tired and Addicted, Dorloff explains four of the symptoms of video game addiction, and then gives a brief and vivid sketch describing each, often with testimony from addicts and parents." *Do not* start a summary with a sentence such as "It was about…."
2) Distinguish between paraphrase and quote: At first, we will not quote from the source but simply summarize it, or explain "in a nutshell" (briefly) what the main points of the source are. To do this, you have to paraphrase, or put briefly into your own words, the main point or points. Later we'll integrate quotes from the source, include MLA (Modern Language Association) style citations, and a list of works cited. When quoting, use either quote marks or block quotes.
3) Use paragraphs. A rule of thumb is that a paragraph contains one main idea. In an essay, it usually has more than one sentence. If the idea is too brief, or can be stated in just one sentence, occasionally you can group a few ideas in the same sentence. If your summary gets long, it may start to become plain that you should break it up into more than one paragraph, depending on the length of the source and the number of main points to be covered.
When complete, post one copy to the correct designated discussion forum on D2L, and for classes that do not meet regularly in a computer lab, print up another copy, and bring the printed copies of every reaction and summary assignment to class during that 3-week unit.
Response assignment - general guidelines
Reader/Viewer/Listener RESPONSE Assignment
..............................................................
Note 1: Parts of This assignment is to be done BEFORE you read or encounter a source, and are best done that way, although if this step is left out, you can do it afterward too. Please be clear in your understanding of these steps; don't make the same mistake twice and leave out the steps to be done beforehand.
Note 2: This assignment might be adapted in the future with more specific information or questions related to a given reading or source.
..............................................................
Before and after reading an assignment, watching a film, or hearing an audio presentation, students will complete this assignment. This is an ungraded-but-required, or pass-fail assignment. Good work on this assignment will help prepare you to think and write better about these and other topics later on in essays for which you’ll be graded. Failure to do adequate work on this assignment will result in your being required to do it over, and/or risking no credit and possibly having it affect your course grade. Minor mistakes are OK, carelessness and laziness isn’t.
As the semester progresses, this assignment will evolve. For example, this assignment may be simplified, and you may be asked to read a number of readings, and do the questions for all the readings combined instead of once for each.
Instructions:
For designated readings or sources that require a reaction, copy the following questions (without these introductory paragraphs) into a fresh document.
- Include all headings (capital letters).
- Respond to the questions using complete sentences and standard English grammar, spelling and punctuation.
- Write in such a way that your answers will stand on their own, not depending on the questions. For example, if before viewing a film or reading an article, you thought Global Warming was caused by cow flatulence, write something like this: "Before I read the article, I had heard that global warming was caused by cattle flatulence." Don't simply write "Cattle flatulence."
- When you're done, delete the questions, but leave your answers under the correct headings below (in capital letters).
Copy the text below to a new document and provide answers:
........................................................
EXPECTATIONS (do this step before you read the source):
1) Before you read/watch/listen to the source, what do you expect the source to be about? How much do you know about this subject? If you skipped this step beforehand, do it afterward as best you can. (Answer here.)
QUESTIONS:
2) Were there parts of the reading that you didn’t understand (even after looking up words you didn’t understand)? List the parts you didn’t understand, and describe as best you can what you didn’t understand about them. Speculate and explore possible solutions that might resolve your confusion and lead to a better understanding. (Answer here.)
WHAT I LEARNED:
3) After reading/watching/listening, did the resource surprise or disturb you, or give you any new information, or a new way of looking at things? (Answer here.)
BIAS & RELIABILITY:
4) Briefly, how would you describe the source’s bias and reliability? See if this changes after reading/watching/listening to other sources. (Answer here.)
BETWEEN THE LINES/INFERENCES/IMPLIED OR ASSUMED BUT NOT SPOKEN:
5) List some things the source may have implied or assumed but left unsaid. What might be required to confirm or deny these assumptions, inferences, or implications? (Answer here.)
SYNTHESIZE:
6) Did the text/source remind you of other things you’ve read, or films you’ve watched, etc., and suggest connections of similar or related ideas? List and explain.
POINTS OF AGREEMENT & DISAGREEMENT:
7) Briefly, did you agree or disagree with the source, and on what points, and why? See if this changes after reading/watching/listening to other sources. (Answer here.)
ADDITIONS:
8) Briefly, can you think of anything to add to the writer’s main points? List and explain as needed. (Answer here.)
RHETORIC AND STYLE OF WRITING OR PRESENTATION:
9) What did you notice about the source’s style or method of presenting this issue? Who was the intended audience? How did the introduction function to lay out the issue or hook the reader’s interest? Do you notice any strategy on the writer’s part in choosing the main points covered, or arranging them as they were arranged? What did the conclusion do: merely wrap things up, or push you toward a certain opinion, view, or action? What might you learn from the way things were presented? You need not answer every single one of these questions, and in fact, sometimes it might be better not to if you notice nothing remarkable. But noticing nothing remarkable might be a sign of a lack of effort, so do make a good, careful, reflective effort, and list a few issues of rhetoric and style that stand out most or puzzle you, and explain or explore. (Answer here).
When complete, post one copy to the correct designated discussion forum on D2L. For classes that do not meet regularly in a computer lab, print up another copy, and bring the printed copies of every reaction and summary assignment to class during that 3-week unit.
..............................................................
Note 1: Parts of This assignment is to be done BEFORE you read or encounter a source, and are best done that way, although if this step is left out, you can do it afterward too. Please be clear in your understanding of these steps; don't make the same mistake twice and leave out the steps to be done beforehand.
Note 2: This assignment might be adapted in the future with more specific information or questions related to a given reading or source.
..............................................................
Before and after reading an assignment, watching a film, or hearing an audio presentation, students will complete this assignment. This is an ungraded-but-required, or pass-fail assignment. Good work on this assignment will help prepare you to think and write better about these and other topics later on in essays for which you’ll be graded. Failure to do adequate work on this assignment will result in your being required to do it over, and/or risking no credit and possibly having it affect your course grade. Minor mistakes are OK, carelessness and laziness isn’t.
As the semester progresses, this assignment will evolve. For example, this assignment may be simplified, and you may be asked to read a number of readings, and do the questions for all the readings combined instead of once for each.
Instructions:
For designated readings or sources that require a reaction, copy the following questions (without these introductory paragraphs) into a fresh document.
- Include all headings (capital letters).
- Respond to the questions using complete sentences and standard English grammar, spelling and punctuation.
- Write in such a way that your answers will stand on their own, not depending on the questions. For example, if before viewing a film or reading an article, you thought Global Warming was caused by cow flatulence, write something like this: "Before I read the article, I had heard that global warming was caused by cattle flatulence." Don't simply write "Cattle flatulence."
- When you're done, delete the questions, but leave your answers under the correct headings below (in capital letters).
Copy the text below to a new document and provide answers:
........................................................
EXPECTATIONS (do this step before you read the source):
1) Before you read/watch/listen to the source, what do you expect the source to be about? How much do you know about this subject? If you skipped this step beforehand, do it afterward as best you can. (Answer here.)
QUESTIONS:
2) Were there parts of the reading that you didn’t understand (even after looking up words you didn’t understand)? List the parts you didn’t understand, and describe as best you can what you didn’t understand about them. Speculate and explore possible solutions that might resolve your confusion and lead to a better understanding. (Answer here.)
WHAT I LEARNED:
3) After reading/watching/listening, did the resource surprise or disturb you, or give you any new information, or a new way of looking at things? (Answer here.)
BIAS & RELIABILITY:
4) Briefly, how would you describe the source’s bias and reliability? See if this changes after reading/watching/listening to other sources. (Answer here.)
BETWEEN THE LINES/INFERENCES/IMPLIED OR ASSUMED BUT NOT SPOKEN:
5) List some things the source may have implied or assumed but left unsaid. What might be required to confirm or deny these assumptions, inferences, or implications? (Answer here.)
SYNTHESIZE:
6) Did the text/source remind you of other things you’ve read, or films you’ve watched, etc., and suggest connections of similar or related ideas? List and explain.
POINTS OF AGREEMENT & DISAGREEMENT:
7) Briefly, did you agree or disagree with the source, and on what points, and why? See if this changes after reading/watching/listening to other sources. (Answer here.)
ADDITIONS:
8) Briefly, can you think of anything to add to the writer’s main points? List and explain as needed. (Answer here.)
RHETORIC AND STYLE OF WRITING OR PRESENTATION:
9) What did you notice about the source’s style or method of presenting this issue? Who was the intended audience? How did the introduction function to lay out the issue or hook the reader’s interest? Do you notice any strategy on the writer’s part in choosing the main points covered, or arranging them as they were arranged? What did the conclusion do: merely wrap things up, or push you toward a certain opinion, view, or action? What might you learn from the way things were presented? You need not answer every single one of these questions, and in fact, sometimes it might be better not to if you notice nothing remarkable. But noticing nothing remarkable might be a sign of a lack of effort, so do make a good, careful, reflective effort, and list a few issues of rhetoric and style that stand out most or puzzle you, and explain or explore. (Answer here).
When complete, post one copy to the correct designated discussion forum on D2L. For classes that do not meet regularly in a computer lab, print up another copy, and bring the printed copies of every reaction and summary assignment to class during that 3-week unit.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
First Things: A List of Links
Some things you should read, but don't have to summarize:
.........................................................
Welcome
Syllabus
Here's the plan: How the course is organized
Tentative Assignment List
(subject to change - also see detailed weekly assignment updates)
What is this instructor like?
What his former students say about Mr. Fried
..............................................
Read the others below, pick your six favorites, and briefly summarize each of those six in a paragraph (one paragraph each), and then post it to the appropriate Discussion Forum on D2L.
..............................................
Ways this class may differ from other composition classes
Attendance & note-taking
like bird-watching & prayer
Note-taking & study,
like melting gold dust into gold bars
Only the hand that erases
Writing, Sports and Musicians
Why ungraded assignments?
Building a House
Self-evaluation: Develop your own good judgment
You must revise your life
Two ways to improve your writing
.........................................................
Welcome
Syllabus
Here's the plan: How the course is organized
Tentative Assignment List
(subject to change - also see detailed weekly assignment updates)
What is this instructor like?
What his former students say about Mr. Fried
..............................................
Read the others below, pick your six favorites, and briefly summarize each of those six in a paragraph (one paragraph each), and then post it to the appropriate Discussion Forum on D2L.
..............................................
Ways this class may differ from other composition classes
Attendance & note-taking
like bird-watching & prayer
Note-taking & study,
like melting gold dust into gold bars
Only the hand that erases
Writing, Sports and Musicians
Why ungraded assignments?
Building a House
Self-evaluation: Develop your own good judgment
You must revise your life
Two ways to improve your writing
Two (maybe three) Ways to Improve Your Writing
(This could also have been titled, "You must revise your life, 2.")
For illustration’s sake, one might divide all methods for improving one’s writing into two kinds: First, improve your understandings. If you want to say something worthwhile, you’d better be sure you know what you’re talking about. Instead of merely tweaking the words on the page, you have to improve your understandings, your ways of looking at your subject and the world.
Sometimes you have to let go of old assumptions, and come to a whole new understanding or way of seeing things. In the words of poet William Stafford, you can’t simply revise a few words: “You must revise your life.” You must revise your understandings and ways of seeing the world if you want to bring about the best possible improvement in your writing.
Most major advancements in science, culture and civilization were achieved by people who were willing and able to look at the world in new ways: The theory of Relativity; the alphabet; Arabic numerals; the invention of the electric light or the computer, the CD, the MP3 player, the cell phone, the atomic bomb; civil rights, women’s rights, the idea of global warming; all leaps in development required new ways of looking at the world and/or ourselves.
The importance of this step–revising our understandings– cannot be underestimated, and it is nurtured in this class though reading, writing, classroom and online discussion, and instructor feedback.
A second way to improve your writing is to find better ways to organize your thoughts, and more convincing, engaging, exciting or elegant ways to communicate your understanding well to your audience.
A final, and relatively minor part of this second way of improving one’s writing (or you could view it as a third way) involves editing for things like proper grammar, spelling and punctuation.
Often these two (or three) ways of improving one’s writing compliment each other. Sometimes they seem to work together inseparably.
Even many of the smartest first-year college students have told me that, in their high school and middle school classes, relatively little time was spent on either of these first two ways of improving an essay listed above, and that after first drafts, the focus was mainly on editing. For many of them, it's refreshing to have a different focus and an awareness of writing priorities that makes more sense.
For illustration’s sake, one might divide all methods for improving one’s writing into two kinds: First, improve your understandings. If you want to say something worthwhile, you’d better be sure you know what you’re talking about. Instead of merely tweaking the words on the page, you have to improve your understandings, your ways of looking at your subject and the world.
Sometimes you have to let go of old assumptions, and come to a whole new understanding or way of seeing things. In the words of poet William Stafford, you can’t simply revise a few words: “You must revise your life.” You must revise your understandings and ways of seeing the world if you want to bring about the best possible improvement in your writing.
Most major advancements in science, culture and civilization were achieved by people who were willing and able to look at the world in new ways: The theory of Relativity; the alphabet; Arabic numerals; the invention of the electric light or the computer, the CD, the MP3 player, the cell phone, the atomic bomb; civil rights, women’s rights, the idea of global warming; all leaps in development required new ways of looking at the world and/or ourselves.
The importance of this step–revising our understandings– cannot be underestimated, and it is nurtured in this class though reading, writing, classroom and online discussion, and instructor feedback.
A second way to improve your writing is to find better ways to organize your thoughts, and more convincing, engaging, exciting or elegant ways to communicate your understanding well to your audience.
A final, and relatively minor part of this second way of improving one’s writing (or you could view it as a third way) involves editing for things like proper grammar, spelling and punctuation.
Often these two (or three) ways of improving one’s writing compliment each other. Sometimes they seem to work together inseparably.
Even many of the smartest first-year college students have told me that, in their high school and middle school classes, relatively little time was spent on either of these first two ways of improving an essay listed above, and that after first drafts, the focus was mainly on editing. For many of them, it's refreshing to have a different focus and an awareness of writing priorities that makes more sense.
You Must Revise Your Life
To write better, strive to think better:
By writing we convey ideas and understandings, so writing better means learning to think more clearly, to understand more deeply, to organize our thoughts better, and to think more creatively about the way our writing might affect the reader.
Too many students merely try to tweak the words on the page instead of digging in when they revise, sometimes starting over from scratch.
The late poet William Stafford wrote a book with a title that comments on a better way: "You Must Revise Your Life."
Novelist and short story writer Bernard Malamud wrote a short story about a man who takes his doctoral dissertation to Italy to complete it, and it gets stolen. As the thief runs away with the manuscript, he tells the man that he can do even better if he starts from scratch. Sometimes it’s true! Writers can get too attached to a draft, and instead of revising broadly, deeply, they spell-check and rearrange a few things. Sometimes the best essays are the ones that students wrote twice: First, a quick, sloppy version so they could see, on paper, what they have to say; and second, a version they plan out better and draft more carefully.
Novelist and writing guru Anne Lamott says that sometimes you just have to let yourself write "shitty first drafts." It gets you started. But don't stop there and just edit. Look at what you have on paper, take a walk, think, and get ideas to improve it. Revise your paper in your mind as you walk somewhere, or drive somewhere.
With narratives, revisions or improvements might involve choosing what to describe and how to describe it more carefully, and coming to a deeper understanding of the possible significance of remembered events, people, or places.
With essays, it might involve choosing supporting evidence more carefully, going back to do extra research to fill in gaps, and coming to understand the material better, or from different angles.
The end product may show some strong relationship to the sloppy first draft, but often every word, every sentence, every paragraph, is different.
More than all that, Stafford may have been hinting that it's more important to change, deepen, and improve your understanding or point of view than it is to edit and revise a given paper without improving your understanding. Sometimes this only comes with time. But sometimes an understanding can improve significantly in a minute, an hour, a day. Sometimes more research and an open mind help the process.
By writing we convey ideas and understandings, so writing better means learning to think more clearly, to understand more deeply, to organize our thoughts better, and to think more creatively about the way our writing might affect the reader.
Too many students merely try to tweak the words on the page instead of digging in when they revise, sometimes starting over from scratch.
The late poet William Stafford wrote a book with a title that comments on a better way: "You Must Revise Your Life."
Novelist and short story writer Bernard Malamud wrote a short story about a man who takes his doctoral dissertation to Italy to complete it, and it gets stolen. As the thief runs away with the manuscript, he tells the man that he can do even better if he starts from scratch. Sometimes it’s true! Writers can get too attached to a draft, and instead of revising broadly, deeply, they spell-check and rearrange a few things. Sometimes the best essays are the ones that students wrote twice: First, a quick, sloppy version so they could see, on paper, what they have to say; and second, a version they plan out better and draft more carefully.
Novelist and writing guru Anne Lamott says that sometimes you just have to let yourself write "shitty first drafts." It gets you started. But don't stop there and just edit. Look at what you have on paper, take a walk, think, and get ideas to improve it. Revise your paper in your mind as you walk somewhere, or drive somewhere.
With narratives, revisions or improvements might involve choosing what to describe and how to describe it more carefully, and coming to a deeper understanding of the possible significance of remembered events, people, or places.
With essays, it might involve choosing supporting evidence more carefully, going back to do extra research to fill in gaps, and coming to understand the material better, or from different angles.
The end product may show some strong relationship to the sloppy first draft, but often every word, every sentence, every paragraph, is different.
More than all that, Stafford may have been hinting that it's more important to change, deepen, and improve your understanding or point of view than it is to edit and revise a given paper without improving your understanding. Sometimes this only comes with time. But sometimes an understanding can improve significantly in a minute, an hour, a day. Sometimes more research and an open mind help the process.
Self-evaluation: Develop your own good judgment
Self-evaluation exercises will be a key in almost every assignment in this course. The goal of the course is to help you develop your good judgement, so you know when your writing is strong, when it’s weak, and when you need another opinion. Your self-evaluations, therefore, will be a crucial starting point. My role as an instructor will not be to act as the first and primary judge of your work; you are the first and primary judge. I step in later to help, to affirm your good judgment, and to help you identify and overcome blind spots.
I think simple forms of self-evaluation should be included in education, even when students are very young. Imagine a spelling test or math test: Instead of asking the students to simply hand in their completed tests, the teacher takes another step and asks each student to look down the list of words or problems and, for each answer, to give something like the following marks:
- If you're confident that you spelled a word or answered a problem correctly, put a smiling face or a star next to that word or answer.
- If you're not sure, put a question mark next to it.
- If you know you tried your best, but are pretty sure you got a word or problem wrong anyway, put a frowning face or an "X" next to it.
Then the teacher's role is not primarily to act as the oracle of judgment, but to help nurture student's good judgement: If they were confident about a correct answer, affirm them. If they were uncertain about a correct answer, affirm them for having it correct. If they were uncertain about an incorrect answer, affirm them for their good judgement in being uncertain. Then there are only two areas where an instructor would have to focus more carefully: When students were way off in their judgement, believing confidently that an answer was correct when it was not, or believing an answer was incorrect when it was correct.
This approach would not solve all education's ills, but it would be one way to emphasize the goal of helping the student be ready to leave the class and become an independent thinker with good judgment about their own work, and with authentic interest in learning -- not just jumping through the hoops of an educational system in which they must seek to be affirmed by instructors as external authority figures. Authority figures are fine, and necessary in any culture, but we have to find better ways to nurture good judgment and pass the torch to the student.
I think simple forms of self-evaluation should be included in education, even when students are very young. Imagine a spelling test or math test: Instead of asking the students to simply hand in their completed tests, the teacher takes another step and asks each student to look down the list of words or problems and, for each answer, to give something like the following marks:
- If you're confident that you spelled a word or answered a problem correctly, put a smiling face or a star next to that word or answer.
- If you're not sure, put a question mark next to it.
- If you know you tried your best, but are pretty sure you got a word or problem wrong anyway, put a frowning face or an "X" next to it.
Then the teacher's role is not primarily to act as the oracle of judgment, but to help nurture student's good judgement: If they were confident about a correct answer, affirm them. If they were uncertain about a correct answer, affirm them for having it correct. If they were uncertain about an incorrect answer, affirm them for their good judgement in being uncertain. Then there are only two areas where an instructor would have to focus more carefully: When students were way off in their judgement, believing confidently that an answer was correct when it was not, or believing an answer was incorrect when it was correct.
This approach would not solve all education's ills, but it would be one way to emphasize the goal of helping the student be ready to leave the class and become an independent thinker with good judgment about their own work, and with authentic interest in learning -- not just jumping through the hoops of an educational system in which they must seek to be affirmed by instructors as external authority figures. Authority figures are fine, and necessary in any culture, but we have to find better ways to nurture good judgment and pass the torch to the student.
Building a House
Writing is like building a house:
1) Choose a good location and decide where on the lot the house will go (like choosing and narrowing a topic well).
2) Design a good house that fits well on the location (research and planning; be sure you understand, deeply, what you write about before you write; develop your ideas, and organize them well).
3) Construct the house with care, good framing, plumbing, heating, light, listening to the wishes of the owners (draft carefully, learning even more as you go, making improvements or major revisions as needs arise).
4) Exercise care, also, in choosing siding, paint, roofing, and doing landscaping (editing and proofreading).
Too many students think they write poorly because they have trouble with grammar, spelling, punctuation.... But notice: All those are in the last two steps, perhaps mostly the very last!
1) Choose a good location and decide where on the lot the house will go (like choosing and narrowing a topic well).
2) Design a good house that fits well on the location (research and planning; be sure you understand, deeply, what you write about before you write; develop your ideas, and organize them well).
3) Construct the house with care, good framing, plumbing, heating, light, listening to the wishes of the owners (draft carefully, learning even more as you go, making improvements or major revisions as needs arise).
4) Exercise care, also, in choosing siding, paint, roofing, and doing landscaping (editing and proofreading).
Too many students think they write poorly because they have trouble with grammar, spelling, punctuation.... But notice: All those are in the last two steps, perhaps mostly the very last!
Why ungraded assignments?
Ungraded assignments? Sounds like an easy ride! Well, first of all, even the "ungraded but required" assignments are still more "pass-fail" than ungraded. It's possible to be so careless or lazy on an ungraded assignment that you'll be asked to do it again. For more information, read on:
The last time I taught this course in 2001, I radically revised my approach. It paid off. I gave many required but ungraded assignments so that students could have plenty of practice at certain skills before they were graded on how well they'd mastered them. Some of the ungraded assignments repeated with slight variations, becoming slightly more complex as students mastered more related skills. There was a snowball effect.
Students liked the approach, and one student, a good writer and very intelligent student, claimed she learned more in my section of 101 than in any other class that semester.
A few students struggled with ungraded assignments: Some would have preferred to be graded on every assignment, even if they didn't do that well, because that way, they would have been absolutely sure about what grade they had going for the class. I compromise by calling them "pass-fail," to remind students that it's possible to blow it.
This is not to say all assignments are ungraded. Final drafts are all graded, and if an assignment is required but not completed and handed in, you get no credit for the assignment, and it will be deducted from your final class grade. If a student abuses the ungraded assignments and makes no effort to improve when given multiple chances and feedback, this will also affect your grade.
Regarding that section of 101 that I taught in 2001 using these methods, you might ask: How did they do for grades? More than two-thirds received A’s or B’s, less than a third received C’s or failing grades. Who received the low grades? Usually students who were frequently absent or with missing assignments.
So if you show up and do the work regularly, you'll find that the ungraded assignments prepare you for the graded ones, even if you might have flunked a quiz on a new skill early in the semester. This method should increase your learning, increase your grades, and also leave the class at the end of the semester feeling that you are fluent in some new writing skills that will serve you well in the rest of your college career.
The last time I taught this course in 2001, I radically revised my approach. It paid off. I gave many required but ungraded assignments so that students could have plenty of practice at certain skills before they were graded on how well they'd mastered them. Some of the ungraded assignments repeated with slight variations, becoming slightly more complex as students mastered more related skills. There was a snowball effect.
Students liked the approach, and one student, a good writer and very intelligent student, claimed she learned more in my section of 101 than in any other class that semester.
A few students struggled with ungraded assignments: Some would have preferred to be graded on every assignment, even if they didn't do that well, because that way, they would have been absolutely sure about what grade they had going for the class. I compromise by calling them "pass-fail," to remind students that it's possible to blow it.
This is not to say all assignments are ungraded. Final drafts are all graded, and if an assignment is required but not completed and handed in, you get no credit for the assignment, and it will be deducted from your final class grade. If a student abuses the ungraded assignments and makes no effort to improve when given multiple chances and feedback, this will also affect your grade.
Regarding that section of 101 that I taught in 2001 using these methods, you might ask: How did they do for grades? More than two-thirds received A’s or B’s, less than a third received C’s or failing grades. Who received the low grades? Usually students who were frequently absent or with missing assignments.
So if you show up and do the work regularly, you'll find that the ungraded assignments prepare you for the graded ones, even if you might have flunked a quiz on a new skill early in the semester. This method should increase your learning, increase your grades, and also leave the class at the end of the semester feeling that you are fluent in some new writing skills that will serve you well in the rest of your college career.
Writing, Sports and Musicians
Too many English teachers approach writing like a "been there, done that" exercise. I've had some teachers like that. And I used to be one of them! But writing is a lot more like playing a sport or learning a musical instrument than it is like solving a few math problems once a week:
- Athletes only get stronger, more agile, more coordinated, and more adept at the plays if they practice regularly.
- Musicians only improve their playing and "ear" if they practice regularly.
- With both athletes and musicians, if there’s a weak area in your performance, you overcome it by zeroing in on that skill, learning to correct it, and practicing till it is no longer a weakness.
The same applies to writing. For this reason, there are some exercises we’ll repeat, with variations. For a wonderful short essay on the practice of daily writing, see Kim Stafford's book, The Muses Among Us -- an early chapter titled, "Writing Daily, Writing in Tune."
- Athletes only get stronger, more agile, more coordinated, and more adept at the plays if they practice regularly.
- Musicians only improve their playing and "ear" if they practice regularly.
- With both athletes and musicians, if there’s a weak area in your performance, you overcome it by zeroing in on that skill, learning to correct it, and practicing till it is no longer a weakness.
The same applies to writing. For this reason, there are some exercises we’ll repeat, with variations. For a wonderful short essay on the practice of daily writing, see Kim Stafford's book, The Muses Among Us -- an early chapter titled, "Writing Daily, Writing in Tune."
Only the hand that erases....
An old Chinese saying:
"Only the hand that erases can write the true thing...."
Learning to write better is often as much an issue of unlearning bad habits, flawed understandings, and limited expectations, as it is a matter of merely learning new facts.
I teach guitar lessons to students ranging from first grade to adult, and sometimes, students pay so much attention to what their left hand is doing on the fingerboard, they forget to pay attention to the right hand too. It's like a parent who spends too much time focused on one child, and then the toddler gets into trouble dropping mom's glasses or dad's watch in the toilet. With guitar students too focused on that left hand, the right hand often gets into trouble. For some students, the right hand bends sideways to the right because students assume they should pick the strings with their fingers at a right angle to the strings. This creates a harsh sound, and it gets uncomfortable very quickly. When I see that happening, I give a student a right-hand exercise -- right hand only -- to focus on overcoming that inclination, and building up a new habit. Once they establish a better right-hand habit, they can go back to paying attention to the left hand.
The same often happens with writers. Some of our inclinations, habits and assumptions make for weak writing, so we have to unlearn them and learn better habits and ways to understand what we're doing. I've said elsewhere that some students think they're bad writers because they have trouble with spelling, grammar and punctuation. Yet good writing is a lot more than these.
So get ready to revise some of your expectations, and to learn some new skills and habits.
Some habits to questions and unlearn:
1. Many students begin college believing (often incorrectly) they are poor writers because they have trouble with grammar, spelling and punctuation. But these tasks are part of the editing process, and some great, famous writers have depended heavily on good editors. Editing is only a small part of what a writer does. Other students are too sure of themselves, believing they are good writers (sometimes incorrectly), merely because they have mastered grammar, spelling and punctuation, and don’t realize that good writing requires much more. In other words, a student with great ideas, who sometimes has difficulty expressing them smoothly or “correctly,” may often be a better writer than a student with very few interesting or helpful insights, but who is nearly perfect at grammar, spelling and punctuation.
2. How many paragraphs? Some students have been told in high school that essays should have three paragraphs: an introduction, a "body" paragraph, and a conclusion. Or five: Introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Many are surprised to find, in college, that essays need to be as long as they need to be. As Yogi Bera once said, "It ain't over till it's over." Sometimes an essay has seven points to make, and sometimes the second of those seven needs two paragraphs to explain it clearly, plus introduction and conclusion. That makes ten. "It ain't over till it's over."
3. Outlines, or at least organized lists: Some students got good grades in high school without ever having to use an outline to organize, or reorganize, their essays, and seem to plan on never having to use them. But in college writing, at least some informal outline or organizational tool (listing, clustering) comes in handy, and is sometimes indispensable.
4. First drafts, revisions, and editing: Many students had the experience in middle school and high school of writing a first draft, then editing it (sometimes after having a peer in the desk to your right or left read and react to it), and then turning it in. Many students have never had to do any deep or drastic revisions that affected their outline, introduction or conclusion. In high school, teachers often have too many sections of too many students, so they can't give individual feedback or help students consider deep, needed revisions.
In other words, after students wrote a first draft, the focus was mostly on editing for grammar, spelling and punctuation. For some students, little effort was spent on improving the understandings underlying the paper, organizing those thoughts better, or considering and improving the writing strategies used to engage the reader.
Some of these students come to believe that “revising” and “editing” are the same thing. They’re not. Revision digs deep and makes major changes. Revision involves things like changing an entire introduction, or taking an outline that included five main points, combining two of them, throwing out and replacing another entirely, and reorganizing the order in which they appear in the paper. Or sometimes revision means recognizing that the first draft was so bad, it would only hold you back if you look at it at all when trying the second draft, so it’s better to set it aside and start from scratch with the new insights you’ve gained since writing that first draft.
But in college English, you’ll be expected to try major revisions, to make major improvements to your ideas, your organization, and your strategies for connecting with and convincing your reader. If you turn in a first draft that shows little improvement over your first draft but editing, you may find you’re elligible for only a “C” or less. So don’t be afraid to rethink and improve your ideas, your outline, your writing strategies.
5. Take it to a new level: Some students might have had a sheltered life in high school: Perhaps their mom was best friends with some district teachers, and they got some easy "A's." Or maybe they want to turn in a favorite paper they wrote in high school, which received an "A" from a favorite teacher, to fulfill a college assignment. Or perhaps they expect to write the same way in college as they did in high school. Old accomplishments are great, and they make us what we are today. But don't cling to them. There are new, higher expectations in college. Be ready to improve on what you already know, and sometimes, to correct bad habits and faulty assumptions.
6. C’mon with those commas: Some students have been told along the way that a comma marks a pause in a sentence. This may be true in some ways, but that doesn't mean that you can use a comma wherever you'd pause. Sometimes other punctuation is required. Sometimes none is better, and it would be better to learn not to pause in certain places. If you have trouble with punctuation, there are great sections in the textbook with help, and good guides in the writing center. If you think you have a bad editing habit or habits that you need help identifying, and want to find out where it’s covered in one of our textbooks, let me know after class or during office hours.
This semester, if you find that some of your habits, inclinations and assumptions about writing are challenged, be ready to consider new ways and develop new habits. If you do, it may involve some work, but it will pay off in the long run.
"Only the hand that erases can write the true thing...."
Learning to write better is often as much an issue of unlearning bad habits, flawed understandings, and limited expectations, as it is a matter of merely learning new facts.
I teach guitar lessons to students ranging from first grade to adult, and sometimes, students pay so much attention to what their left hand is doing on the fingerboard, they forget to pay attention to the right hand too. It's like a parent who spends too much time focused on one child, and then the toddler gets into trouble dropping mom's glasses or dad's watch in the toilet. With guitar students too focused on that left hand, the right hand often gets into trouble. For some students, the right hand bends sideways to the right because students assume they should pick the strings with their fingers at a right angle to the strings. This creates a harsh sound, and it gets uncomfortable very quickly. When I see that happening, I give a student a right-hand exercise -- right hand only -- to focus on overcoming that inclination, and building up a new habit. Once they establish a better right-hand habit, they can go back to paying attention to the left hand.
The same often happens with writers. Some of our inclinations, habits and assumptions make for weak writing, so we have to unlearn them and learn better habits and ways to understand what we're doing. I've said elsewhere that some students think they're bad writers because they have trouble with spelling, grammar and punctuation. Yet good writing is a lot more than these.
So get ready to revise some of your expectations, and to learn some new skills and habits.
Some habits to questions and unlearn:
1. Many students begin college believing (often incorrectly) they are poor writers because they have trouble with grammar, spelling and punctuation. But these tasks are part of the editing process, and some great, famous writers have depended heavily on good editors. Editing is only a small part of what a writer does. Other students are too sure of themselves, believing they are good writers (sometimes incorrectly), merely because they have mastered grammar, spelling and punctuation, and don’t realize that good writing requires much more. In other words, a student with great ideas, who sometimes has difficulty expressing them smoothly or “correctly,” may often be a better writer than a student with very few interesting or helpful insights, but who is nearly perfect at grammar, spelling and punctuation.
2. How many paragraphs? Some students have been told in high school that essays should have three paragraphs: an introduction, a "body" paragraph, and a conclusion. Or five: Introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Many are surprised to find, in college, that essays need to be as long as they need to be. As Yogi Bera once said, "It ain't over till it's over." Sometimes an essay has seven points to make, and sometimes the second of those seven needs two paragraphs to explain it clearly, plus introduction and conclusion. That makes ten. "It ain't over till it's over."
3. Outlines, or at least organized lists: Some students got good grades in high school without ever having to use an outline to organize, or reorganize, their essays, and seem to plan on never having to use them. But in college writing, at least some informal outline or organizational tool (listing, clustering) comes in handy, and is sometimes indispensable.
4. First drafts, revisions, and editing: Many students had the experience in middle school and high school of writing a first draft, then editing it (sometimes after having a peer in the desk to your right or left read and react to it), and then turning it in. Many students have never had to do any deep or drastic revisions that affected their outline, introduction or conclusion. In high school, teachers often have too many sections of too many students, so they can't give individual feedback or help students consider deep, needed revisions.
In other words, after students wrote a first draft, the focus was mostly on editing for grammar, spelling and punctuation. For some students, little effort was spent on improving the understandings underlying the paper, organizing those thoughts better, or considering and improving the writing strategies used to engage the reader.
Some of these students come to believe that “revising” and “editing” are the same thing. They’re not. Revision digs deep and makes major changes. Revision involves things like changing an entire introduction, or taking an outline that included five main points, combining two of them, throwing out and replacing another entirely, and reorganizing the order in which they appear in the paper. Or sometimes revision means recognizing that the first draft was so bad, it would only hold you back if you look at it at all when trying the second draft, so it’s better to set it aside and start from scratch with the new insights you’ve gained since writing that first draft.
But in college English, you’ll be expected to try major revisions, to make major improvements to your ideas, your organization, and your strategies for connecting with and convincing your reader. If you turn in a first draft that shows little improvement over your first draft but editing, you may find you’re elligible for only a “C” or less. So don’t be afraid to rethink and improve your ideas, your outline, your writing strategies.
5. Take it to a new level: Some students might have had a sheltered life in high school: Perhaps their mom was best friends with some district teachers, and they got some easy "A's." Or maybe they want to turn in a favorite paper they wrote in high school, which received an "A" from a favorite teacher, to fulfill a college assignment. Or perhaps they expect to write the same way in college as they did in high school. Old accomplishments are great, and they make us what we are today. But don't cling to them. There are new, higher expectations in college. Be ready to improve on what you already know, and sometimes, to correct bad habits and faulty assumptions.
6. C’mon with those commas: Some students have been told along the way that a comma marks a pause in a sentence. This may be true in some ways, but that doesn't mean that you can use a comma wherever you'd pause. Sometimes other punctuation is required. Sometimes none is better, and it would be better to learn not to pause in certain places. If you have trouble with punctuation, there are great sections in the textbook with help, and good guides in the writing center. If you think you have a bad editing habit or habits that you need help identifying, and want to find out where it’s covered in one of our textbooks, let me know after class or during office hours.
This semester, if you find that some of your habits, inclinations and assumptions about writing are challenged, be ready to consider new ways and develop new habits. If you do, it may involve some work, but it will pay off in the long run.
NOTE-TAKING AND STUDY: A GOLD-DUST PARABLE
NOTE-TAKING AND STUDY: A GOLD-DUST PARABLE
Imagine this:
You pay thousands of dollars for the opportunity to go into a room that has a huge pile of gold dust. As you enter, you must wear clothing with no pockets, and carry no box or bag, only a piece of netting or webbing, like that used to make pockets in swim trunks.
You can enter once and leave once, with as much gold as you can carry.
You will be x-rayed as you leave to be sure you didn't stuff your mouth, ears, or other bodily orifices, like cocaine dealers do to smuggle drugs.
You might be able to hold some gold dust in your hand, but not much, perhaps not worth much more than the thousands you paid for the chance to enter the room.
And there is a large fan blowing as you exit, like the fan that dries your car when you leave a car-wash. A great deal of the gold could blow away.
You have that large piece of netting, but the gold dust will fall right through the holes.
There are many other people outside the room, some entering and leaving quickly, even running, some not watching where they are going. There are police outside who make sure no one steals another person’s gold as they go down the block to a nearby bank, but the police won’t protect you from accidents: If you leave with a handful of dust and someone bumps into you, or you bump into someone else, you could spill the gold dust on the ground and lose most of it.
There is some equipment in the room for making a fire and melting the gold dust into gold bars, but the fire isn’t going, and there are no gold bars in the room.
You have a choice:
1) You could grab a handful of gold dust and leave the room as soon as possible, thinking you want to get back some of the thousands you spent to be admitted to the room. In fact, some estimate that this is what most people do.
2. You could invest some time and work, and melt the gold dust into gold bars. There are bellows for the fire. Pumping them to get the fire hot enough to melt gold will be work, tiring work. But you could carry more gold in the form of gold bars than you could in dust, and you could use the webbing to help. The police would protect you from theft on the way to the bank, and if you fall or drop a bar, it would not scatter and be lost like dust could.
The choice is obvious. Take the time to start the fire and melt the gold dust into bars, so you can leave with as much gold as you can carry and drag in the netting. You could be rich beyond your dreams.
College is like that. Many colleges say that for every hour spent in class you should be spending at least an hour in study outside of class.
If you look for and take only easy courses that require little study or work, you won’t learn much, and you may quickly forget what you learn, like losing gold dust. It won’t be worth your time or the tuition cost. Many students choose this path. They assume college is a place to party, or where you can get away from parents and have all-night video game tournaments, or a long list of other things. They often cheat themselves out of an education they, or their family, or the government helped pay for.
But if you take notes, review your notes, study and work hard, do all the reading and writing assignments carefully, you’ll probaly be changed for the better and have more intellectual riches, more gold bars, to take away from the experience, worth far more than your investment in tuition.
Imagine this:
You pay thousands of dollars for the opportunity to go into a room that has a huge pile of gold dust. As you enter, you must wear clothing with no pockets, and carry no box or bag, only a piece of netting or webbing, like that used to make pockets in swim trunks.
You can enter once and leave once, with as much gold as you can carry.
You will be x-rayed as you leave to be sure you didn't stuff your mouth, ears, or other bodily orifices, like cocaine dealers do to smuggle drugs.
You might be able to hold some gold dust in your hand, but not much, perhaps not worth much more than the thousands you paid for the chance to enter the room.
And there is a large fan blowing as you exit, like the fan that dries your car when you leave a car-wash. A great deal of the gold could blow away.
You have that large piece of netting, but the gold dust will fall right through the holes.
There are many other people outside the room, some entering and leaving quickly, even running, some not watching where they are going. There are police outside who make sure no one steals another person’s gold as they go down the block to a nearby bank, but the police won’t protect you from accidents: If you leave with a handful of dust and someone bumps into you, or you bump into someone else, you could spill the gold dust on the ground and lose most of it.
There is some equipment in the room for making a fire and melting the gold dust into gold bars, but the fire isn’t going, and there are no gold bars in the room.
You have a choice:
1) You could grab a handful of gold dust and leave the room as soon as possible, thinking you want to get back some of the thousands you spent to be admitted to the room. In fact, some estimate that this is what most people do.
2. You could invest some time and work, and melt the gold dust into gold bars. There are bellows for the fire. Pumping them to get the fire hot enough to melt gold will be work, tiring work. But you could carry more gold in the form of gold bars than you could in dust, and you could use the webbing to help. The police would protect you from theft on the way to the bank, and if you fall or drop a bar, it would not scatter and be lost like dust could.
The choice is obvious. Take the time to start the fire and melt the gold dust into bars, so you can leave with as much gold as you can carry and drag in the netting. You could be rich beyond your dreams.
College is like that. Many colleges say that for every hour spent in class you should be spending at least an hour in study outside of class.
If you look for and take only easy courses that require little study or work, you won’t learn much, and you may quickly forget what you learn, like losing gold dust. It won’t be worth your time or the tuition cost. Many students choose this path. They assume college is a place to party, or where you can get away from parents and have all-night video game tournaments, or a long list of other things. They often cheat themselves out of an education they, or their family, or the government helped pay for.
But if you take notes, review your notes, study and work hard, do all the reading and writing assignments carefully, you’ll probaly be changed for the better and have more intellectual riches, more gold bars, to take away from the experience, worth far more than your investment in tuition.
ATTENDANCE & NOTE-TAKING, like BIRD-WATCHING & PRAYER
ATTENDANCE & NOTE-TAKING, like BIRD-WATCHING & PRAYER
Attending class regularly, without missing any classes, and having a notebook open and ready to take notes, are like bird-watching:
You don’t always see many birds, or the bird you were looking for.
But those who go out regularly, look around, put the binoculars up to their heads, and note in their journals which birds they spotted, are the ones who are most likely to see, identify, and remember which birds they spotted.
Those who never show, never use the binoculars, and never jot down notes about the birds they do see, will have much less likelihood of spotting birds, and of remembering which birds they spotted.
This is also like the Buddhist idea that people’s lives are shaped most by what they think about and do most. If you practice drumming often and think about it a lot, tapping out rhythms on desks and the breakfast table, using a bowl and a cup for different percussive sounds, then there’s probably a good chance you’ll improve as a drummer. If you don’t think about it, and don’t practice, you won’t improve.
This is also like idea of prayer for Christians, Jews and Muslims: If you pray regularly to find a job, or to get good grades, or to learn a lot in school, then chances are, you’ll do other activities regularly that will also help lead to meeting those goals. You will orient your life in the direction of achieving those goals.
The bird-watcher has to be patient, and on some days, there aren’t many birds; maybe none at all. But developing the habits of watching helps you be ready for the day when the birds are there.
The same is true of practicing a musical instrument: Some days, you don’t seem to make much progress, or if you do, it might be so small you don’t notice. Or with prayer, for those who believe in and practice prayer: Some days, they think their prayers aren’t answered.
All these activities put you in the habit of working toward a goal, and being ready and receptive for when insight or progress comes. The same is true of attendance and note-taking. As Shakespeare's character Hamlet says, "The readiness is all."
Attending class regularly, without missing any classes, and having a notebook open and ready to take notes, are like bird-watching:
You don’t always see many birds, or the bird you were looking for.
But those who go out regularly, look around, put the binoculars up to their heads, and note in their journals which birds they spotted, are the ones who are most likely to see, identify, and remember which birds they spotted.
Those who never show, never use the binoculars, and never jot down notes about the birds they do see, will have much less likelihood of spotting birds, and of remembering which birds they spotted.
This is also like the Buddhist idea that people’s lives are shaped most by what they think about and do most. If you practice drumming often and think about it a lot, tapping out rhythms on desks and the breakfast table, using a bowl and a cup for different percussive sounds, then there’s probably a good chance you’ll improve as a drummer. If you don’t think about it, and don’t practice, you won’t improve.
This is also like idea of prayer for Christians, Jews and Muslims: If you pray regularly to find a job, or to get good grades, or to learn a lot in school, then chances are, you’ll do other activities regularly that will also help lead to meeting those goals. You will orient your life in the direction of achieving those goals.
The bird-watcher has to be patient, and on some days, there aren’t many birds; maybe none at all. But developing the habits of watching helps you be ready for the day when the birds are there.
The same is true of practicing a musical instrument: Some days, you don’t seem to make much progress, or if you do, it might be so small you don’t notice. Or with prayer, for those who believe in and practice prayer: Some days, they think their prayers aren’t answered.
All these activities put you in the habit of working toward a goal, and being ready and receptive for when insight or progress comes. The same is true of attendance and note-taking. As Shakespeare's character Hamlet says, "The readiness is all."
What his former students say about Mr. Fried
Below are some results from my student evaluations for Spring, 2007. First, I've listed comments students wrote on the back in response to four questions. Below that I have some ratings the students gave me on response to various aspects of the class.
But you should not take my word for it that students actually rated me this way. It would be too easy for a person to fake all this on a blog. So if you doubt any of this, let me know, and I'll bring the hard copies and the official tally of the averages to school with me, and you can see them in my office. Or if you don't want to be known to your instructor as a doubter of his honesty, considering that he will grade you, slip me an anonymous note under my office door or something, and I'll bring the evidence to class.
In other words, be critical readers regarding whatever source you read. You're going to have to do that with what you read this semester, so why not start here?
Oh, and you'll notice that my students didn't mention that they worked a lot. Most semesters, someone usually writes, "We worked a lot, but it was good." I like that. One semester, a student wrote, "I didn't like the ____ (fill in the blank) assignment that we did so often, but I learned a lot from it, and I'll never forget it." It's nice to think that he went on to other classes, fluent in a skill he mastered, and perhaps he faced future assignments with a little more confidence and ease than he might have otherwise.
Here's what the students commented on the back:
What are the major strengths and weaknesses of the instructor?
- Strengths - he is bold in his movements
(Mr. Fried wonders: What does that mean? I don't remember choreography...?)
- Weaknesses - Does he have weaknesses?
- Strengths - nice and knows what he’s talking about
- Weaknesses: some class periods could have been online class (lots of writing activities this semester)
- Strengths - clear assignment list, easy to understand
- Weaknesses - n/a
- He enjoys what he does and knows everybody’s name
- He has a lot of strengths. He puts a lot of time into the class and his students.
- Made class fun. Did not give excess amounts of homework, just the right amount
- great personality, easy going
- no comment
- learned a lot from him, and he was very easy to talk to
- there’s a lot of discussion and help
- Enthusiastic, but not always the most organized
- Very helpful
- He is a very good teacher and knows what he is talking about. Very helpful in all ways. Cares about his students.
- Knows the material, very enthusiastic
- he cares a lot. Very enthusiastic, always available to help.
- I like his style of teaching because he’s very involved with the students more
- Good grading style, strays off the point sometimes
What aspects of this course were most beneficial to you?
- ungraded but required work, and D2L
- writing the essays and integrating quotes
- The writing
- All of them
- D2L
- The papers. The handbook.
- I learned how to become a better writer and use sources
- Learning some techniques and skills to better my writing
- the ungraded assignments - they made me practice my writing skills.
- the essay writing
- I don’t know
- writing the essays
- Course blog very helpful, great use of D2L, and ungraded assignments were helpful too
- learning paper (MLA) format
- I like getting the reply with feedback on D2L
- writing papers
What do you suggest to improve this course?
- Nothing
- Have online class
- less online (x2)
- Grade all assignments
- no suggestions
- nothing
- nothing
- hard to keep up
- nothing
- shorter class - 3.5 hours in a block once a week is too long
- (seven evaluations were blank in this spot)
- none
- meet more than 1 time a week
Comment on the grading procedures:
- A+
- they were fair
- good
- Good.
- Very good grading style
- I like the idea of ungraded-but-required assignments
- good
- fair
- good overall. Less ungraded assignments.
- (Many left this blank)
Ratings:
On a scale of one to five, here's how my students rated me on the following questions. My averages were almost always 4.0 or higher, except for "course organization," which was 3.95 (I think I must come off sometimes like the absent-minded professor, or else I like to structure my class in complex ways that are clear to me, but not so apparent to students).
My three highest average scores were for "Student confidence in instructor's knowledge" and "The Instructor's contribution to the course," where I rated 4.73, and "Instructor's contribution to discussions," where I rated 4.77, no easy feat, considering that I was wearing scuba gear and weaving a rug by hand at the same time. The fact that I scored this high in these areas must mean I had a group of very generous students that semester. In fact, it might reflect more on their kindness and generosity than it does on me. For 81.8% of the group to rate me at five out of five for my contributions to discussions either means they're just way too generous, or maybe I was dominating discussions too much. It makes no sense. My two children don't think I'm that smart. But that's life.
And by telling you how the previous class rated me, I'm sure to jinx things: Your expectations may be too high, so I'll probably disappoint them. Maybe. But when I was in college, I was always a bit nervous about new instructors, and I know many students still are, so I'd rather let you know as much as possible to put you at ease, and risk disappointing you, than keep you nervous and in the dark.
For each question, the first number is the rating, and the second is the percent of students who gave me that rating.
Rate the course as a whole:
5 - 40.9%
4 - 45.5%
3 - 9.1%
2 - 4.5%
(4.5% = 1 student - breaks my heart to think I probably know which one)
The instructor's contribution to the course
5 - 72.7
4 - 27.3
Use of class time
5 - 54.5%
4 - 31.8
3 - 4.5
2 - 9.1 (9.1 = 2 students, but still significant)
Instructor's interest in whether students learned
5 - 68.2
4 - 31.8
Amount you learned in the course
5 - 40.9
4 - 36.4
3 - 4.5
2 - 18.2
Evaluative and grading techniques (tests, papers, projects, etc.)
5 - 63.6
4 - 13.6
3 - 13.6
2 - 9.1
Clarity of student responsibilities and requirements
5 - 54.5
4 - 13.6
3 - 18.2
2 - 9.1
1 - 4.5 (1 student, but still significant)
Course organization
5 - 36.4
4 - 40.9
3 - 4.5
2 - 18.2
Instructor's contributions to discussions
5 - 81.8
4 - 13.6
3 - 4.5
Instructor's use of examples and illustrations
5 - 63.6
4 - 31.8
3 - 4.5
Quality of questions or problems raised by instructor
5 - 59.1
4 - 27.3
3 - 13.6
Student confidence in instructor's knowledge
5 - 72.7
4 - 27.3
Instructor's enthusiasm
5 - 68.2
4 - 31.8
Encouragement given to students to express themselves
5 - 68.2
4 - 22.7
3 - 9.1
Answers to student questions
5 - 77.3
4 - 13.6
3 - 4.5
2 - 4.5
But you should not take my word for it that students actually rated me this way. It would be too easy for a person to fake all this on a blog. So if you doubt any of this, let me know, and I'll bring the hard copies and the official tally of the averages to school with me, and you can see them in my office. Or if you don't want to be known to your instructor as a doubter of his honesty, considering that he will grade you, slip me an anonymous note under my office door or something, and I'll bring the evidence to class.
In other words, be critical readers regarding whatever source you read. You're going to have to do that with what you read this semester, so why not start here?
Oh, and you'll notice that my students didn't mention that they worked a lot. Most semesters, someone usually writes, "We worked a lot, but it was good." I like that. One semester, a student wrote, "I didn't like the ____ (fill in the blank) assignment that we did so often, but I learned a lot from it, and I'll never forget it." It's nice to think that he went on to other classes, fluent in a skill he mastered, and perhaps he faced future assignments with a little more confidence and ease than he might have otherwise.
Here's what the students commented on the back:
What are the major strengths and weaknesses of the instructor?
- Strengths - he is bold in his movements
(Mr. Fried wonders: What does that mean? I don't remember choreography...?)
- Weaknesses - Does he have weaknesses?
- Strengths - nice and knows what he’s talking about
- Weaknesses: some class periods could have been online class (lots of writing activities this semester)
- Strengths - clear assignment list, easy to understand
- Weaknesses - n/a
- He enjoys what he does and knows everybody’s name
- He has a lot of strengths. He puts a lot of time into the class and his students.
- Made class fun. Did not give excess amounts of homework, just the right amount
- great personality, easy going
- no comment
- learned a lot from him, and he was very easy to talk to
- there’s a lot of discussion and help
- Enthusiastic, but not always the most organized
- Very helpful
- He is a very good teacher and knows what he is talking about. Very helpful in all ways. Cares about his students.
- Knows the material, very enthusiastic
- he cares a lot. Very enthusiastic, always available to help.
- I like his style of teaching because he’s very involved with the students more
- Good grading style, strays off the point sometimes
What aspects of this course were most beneficial to you?
- ungraded but required work, and D2L
- writing the essays and integrating quotes
- The writing
- All of them
- D2L
- The papers. The handbook.
- I learned how to become a better writer and use sources
- Learning some techniques and skills to better my writing
- the ungraded assignments - they made me practice my writing skills.
- the essay writing
- I don’t know
- writing the essays
- Course blog very helpful, great use of D2L, and ungraded assignments were helpful too
- learning paper (MLA) format
- I like getting the reply with feedback on D2L
- writing papers
What do you suggest to improve this course?
- Nothing
- Have online class
- less online (x2)
- Grade all assignments
- no suggestions
- nothing
- nothing
- hard to keep up
- nothing
- shorter class - 3.5 hours in a block once a week is too long
- (seven evaluations were blank in this spot)
- none
- meet more than 1 time a week
Comment on the grading procedures:
- A+
- they were fair
- good
- Good.
- Very good grading style
- I like the idea of ungraded-but-required assignments
- good
- fair
- good overall. Less ungraded assignments.
- (Many left this blank)
Ratings:
On a scale of one to five, here's how my students rated me on the following questions. My averages were almost always 4.0 or higher, except for "course organization," which was 3.95 (I think I must come off sometimes like the absent-minded professor, or else I like to structure my class in complex ways that are clear to me, but not so apparent to students).
My three highest average scores were for "Student confidence in instructor's knowledge" and "The Instructor's contribution to the course," where I rated 4.73, and "Instructor's contribution to discussions," where I rated 4.77, no easy feat, considering that I was wearing scuba gear and weaving a rug by hand at the same time. The fact that I scored this high in these areas must mean I had a group of very generous students that semester. In fact, it might reflect more on their kindness and generosity than it does on me. For 81.8% of the group to rate me at five out of five for my contributions to discussions either means they're just way too generous, or maybe I was dominating discussions too much. It makes no sense. My two children don't think I'm that smart. But that's life.
And by telling you how the previous class rated me, I'm sure to jinx things: Your expectations may be too high, so I'll probably disappoint them. Maybe. But when I was in college, I was always a bit nervous about new instructors, and I know many students still are, so I'd rather let you know as much as possible to put you at ease, and risk disappointing you, than keep you nervous and in the dark.
For each question, the first number is the rating, and the second is the percent of students who gave me that rating.
Rate the course as a whole:
5 - 40.9%
4 - 45.5%
3 - 9.1%
2 - 4.5%
(4.5% = 1 student - breaks my heart to think I probably know which one)
The instructor's contribution to the course
5 - 72.7
4 - 27.3
Use of class time
5 - 54.5%
4 - 31.8
3 - 4.5
2 - 9.1 (9.1 = 2 students, but still significant)
Instructor's interest in whether students learned
5 - 68.2
4 - 31.8
Amount you learned in the course
5 - 40.9
4 - 36.4
3 - 4.5
2 - 18.2
Evaluative and grading techniques (tests, papers, projects, etc.)
5 - 63.6
4 - 13.6
3 - 13.6
2 - 9.1
Clarity of student responsibilities and requirements
5 - 54.5
4 - 13.6
3 - 18.2
2 - 9.1
1 - 4.5 (1 student, but still significant)
Course organization
5 - 36.4
4 - 40.9
3 - 4.5
2 - 18.2
Instructor's contributions to discussions
5 - 81.8
4 - 13.6
3 - 4.5
Instructor's use of examples and illustrations
5 - 63.6
4 - 31.8
3 - 4.5
Quality of questions or problems raised by instructor
5 - 59.1
4 - 27.3
3 - 13.6
Student confidence in instructor's knowledge
5 - 72.7
4 - 27.3
Instructor's enthusiasm
5 - 68.2
4 - 31.8
Encouragement given to students to express themselves
5 - 68.2
4 - 22.7
3 - 9.1
Answers to student questions
5 - 77.3
4 - 13.6
3 - 4.5
2 - 4.5
What is this instructor like?
My style of teaching may be similar in some ways to other teachers you’ve had or will have, but I’m guessing it may be different in some ways. For more information, also see the blog post, “Ways this class may differ from other comp classes.”
If I had to summarize two of the main qualities of my own teaching, I’d list the following:
1. Teach me:
There has never been a semester when I have not been surprised and amazed at some of the things I learn from my students, and at how they inspire me with their writing and with the progress they make. As a colleague of mine tells her students, “If you don’t teach me something this semester, you’re not doing your job.”
I think it’s mostly because of what I’ve learned from my students that I’ve become a better teacher. So if I do anything right, to a great degree it’s because of the good legacy my past students have left behind in me with all they’ve taught me over the years. So keep an open mind, work hard, share what you learn, be humble and ready to improve your ideas and your writing, and in the process, teach me as much as you can, if not for your own sakes, then for the sake of all the students who will have to take my class after you.
Pity them, eh?
2. Cooperative Learning
If I had a choice between teaching students by lecturing at them, or teaching them by giving them tasks that help them cooperate and teach each other, I'd choose the later. Students are exposed to many entertaining technologies (video games, MP# players, cell phones, DVD's and internet) that make lecturing alone tend to fail at holding their attention.
Furthermore, perhaps lecturing as a form of teaching was often overrated. Students learn more by doing, by being actively involved. Writing is a skill that requires practice and active participation. So be ready to participate, because I'll expect it.
When one student essay is very strong in one area but weak in another, I try to construct assignments to give that student the task of reading an essay by another student who has strengths where he/she has weaknesses, and vice versa. Better to help students learn from one another than to assume I should act like the oracle of all wisdom, which I am not. The task of a writing class is to develop your skills, understandings and good judgment, and this will require habits of active participation.
For more information on what to expect from me, see the blog posts, “Ways this class may differ from other comp classes,” and “What his former students say about Mr. Fried.”
If I had to summarize two of the main qualities of my own teaching, I’d list the following:
1. Teach me:
There has never been a semester when I have not been surprised and amazed at some of the things I learn from my students, and at how they inspire me with their writing and with the progress they make. As a colleague of mine tells her students, “If you don’t teach me something this semester, you’re not doing your job.”
I think it’s mostly because of what I’ve learned from my students that I’ve become a better teacher. So if I do anything right, to a great degree it’s because of the good legacy my past students have left behind in me with all they’ve taught me over the years. So keep an open mind, work hard, share what you learn, be humble and ready to improve your ideas and your writing, and in the process, teach me as much as you can, if not for your own sakes, then for the sake of all the students who will have to take my class after you.
Pity them, eh?
2. Cooperative Learning
If I had a choice between teaching students by lecturing at them, or teaching them by giving them tasks that help them cooperate and teach each other, I'd choose the later. Students are exposed to many entertaining technologies (video games, MP# players, cell phones, DVD's and internet) that make lecturing alone tend to fail at holding their attention.
Furthermore, perhaps lecturing as a form of teaching was often overrated. Students learn more by doing, by being actively involved. Writing is a skill that requires practice and active participation. So be ready to participate, because I'll expect it.
When one student essay is very strong in one area but weak in another, I try to construct assignments to give that student the task of reading an essay by another student who has strengths where he/she has weaknesses, and vice versa. Better to help students learn from one another than to assume I should act like the oracle of all wisdom, which I am not. The task of a writing class is to develop your skills, understandings and good judgment, and this will require habits of active participation.
For more information on what to expect from me, see the blog posts, “Ways this class may differ from other comp classes,” and “What his former students say about Mr. Fried.”
Ways this class may differ from other comp classes
While this class might be very much the same as any other introductory college English class, you may wonder how it might be different. Here are some thoughts about how my teaching has evolved in some ways that might be a bit unique, although you might actually find some English instructors at many colleges and university whose teaching methods share one or more of the following characteristics. For the most part, I don't think you have anything to fear about the way I teach, or the differences. In fact, I often have students claim they learn a great deal in my class, and once had one of my smartest, most gifted writers claim that she learned more in my comp 101 than any other course that semester. (More on that in other blog posts, like "What his past students say about Mr. Fried"). But here are some ways this class might differ:
1. Ungraded Writing Assignments: Practice Leads to Fluency
I Assign many ungraded-but-required (pass-fail) assignments that students complete as they practice and learn certain skills. My philosophy is that you should not be graded on what you have not yet had the chance to practice and become proficient in. For more information, also check out the following blog posts:
Writing, Sports and Musicians
http://en100fried.blogspot.com/2007/08/writing-sports-and-musicians.html
Why ungraded assignments?
http://en100fried.blogspot.com/2007/08/why-ungraded-assignments.html
2. Self-evaluation
I believe strongly that the point of writing classes is not to make the student dependent on the instructor as an oracle of all knowledge and judgment, but to help the student increase their knowledge and develop their good judgment. For this reason, many assignments will require brief self-evaluations. For more on this point, see the following blog post:
Self-Evaluation: Develop your own good judgment
http://en100fried.blogspot.com/2007/08/self-evaluation-develop-your-own-good.html
3. Promoting cooperative learning
Two heads are better than one, they say. A whole classroom of students, working together, has an incredible potential for expanding their knowledge and skills through cooperation. For this reason, most assignments will have a designated discussion forum on D2L (Desire To Learn), which can be accessed from the university's home page. So you won't be doing work in private and handing things in directly to the instructor, to be seen only by my eyes and yours and those of any peer you choose to reveal your work to. Instead, consider all assignments as contributions to the class, and as opportunities for everyone to learn. Sometimes students learn as much, or more, from reading the work of others and seeing in it some strength or weakness from which they can learn, as they do from reading feedback on their own work. Sometimes feedback on our own work feels threatening and is too personal. But if we can learn to be better and more critical writers by first seeing a flaw or strength in someone else, and then apply it to ourselves, sometimes it's less threatening, so instead of feeling shamed by critical feedback, we feel we've gained a good insight on our own and applied it to our own work.
4. Explore your doubt
I had some good teachers who did some interesting things with classes I had. After reading a chapter or text of some kind, instead of asking us to write a paper based on what we understood best in it, students were asked to write about what they understood least, and through the writing, to try to expand their knowledge, explore and text their their hunches against the evidence of the text and other research. This method encourages students to advance their knowledge instead of resting on their laurels. At times we will use this same approach.
1. Ungraded Writing Assignments: Practice Leads to Fluency
I Assign many ungraded-but-required (pass-fail) assignments that students complete as they practice and learn certain skills. My philosophy is that you should not be graded on what you have not yet had the chance to practice and become proficient in. For more information, also check out the following blog posts:
Writing, Sports and Musicians
http://en100fried.blogspot.com/2007/08/writing-sports-and-musicians.html
Why ungraded assignments?
http://en100fried.blogspot.com/2007/08/why-ungraded-assignments.html
2. Self-evaluation
I believe strongly that the point of writing classes is not to make the student dependent on the instructor as an oracle of all knowledge and judgment, but to help the student increase their knowledge and develop their good judgment. For this reason, many assignments will require brief self-evaluations. For more on this point, see the following blog post:
Self-Evaluation: Develop your own good judgment
http://en100fried.blogspot.com/2007/08/self-evaluation-develop-your-own-good.html
3. Promoting cooperative learning
Two heads are better than one, they say. A whole classroom of students, working together, has an incredible potential for expanding their knowledge and skills through cooperation. For this reason, most assignments will have a designated discussion forum on D2L (Desire To Learn), which can be accessed from the university's home page. So you won't be doing work in private and handing things in directly to the instructor, to be seen only by my eyes and yours and those of any peer you choose to reveal your work to. Instead, consider all assignments as contributions to the class, and as opportunities for everyone to learn. Sometimes students learn as much, or more, from reading the work of others and seeing in it some strength or weakness from which they can learn, as they do from reading feedback on their own work. Sometimes feedback on our own work feels threatening and is too personal. But if we can learn to be better and more critical writers by first seeing a flaw or strength in someone else, and then apply it to ourselves, sometimes it's less threatening, so instead of feeling shamed by critical feedback, we feel we've gained a good insight on our own and applied it to our own work.
4. Explore your doubt
I had some good teachers who did some interesting things with classes I had. After reading a chapter or text of some kind, instead of asking us to write a paper based on what we understood best in it, students were asked to write about what they understood least, and through the writing, to try to expand their knowledge, explore and text their their hunches against the evidence of the text and other research. This method encourages students to advance their knowledge instead of resting on their laurels. At times we will use this same approach.
Here's the Plan: How the Course is Organized
To understand how this course is organized, I want you to think of just three simple categories:
I. Course textbooks and other reading
II. Written assignments
III. Classroom work and discussion
If you consider the components of each of these two, the overall organization of the course starts to become very clear.
Here's the expanded outline, with all the sub-categories:
I. Course textbooks and other reading
A. Essays, articles, & other sources (4 units):
1. Global Warming and Environment
2. Who Controls Public Opinion and Policy, & How?
3. Rich & Poor, Discrimination & Oppression
4. War, Intervention, & the Military-Industrial Complex
B. Rhetoric & handbook
C. Reading your peers' work
II. Written assignments
A. Frequent ungraded assignments for reflection & practice:
1. Responses to readings and other sources
2. Summaries of readings and other sources
3. Annotated bibliographies
4. Practice writing introductions, outlines,
and other writing exercises, including peer feedback
B. Graded papers:
1. Explaining a Concept
(Who Controls Public Opinion and Policy, & How?)
2. Speculating about Causes
(Global Warming & Environment)
3. Argument, or Persuasion
(Rich and Poor, Discrimination & Oppression)
4. Proposing a Solution
(War, Intervention, & the Military-Industrial Complex)
III. Classroom work and discussion (which will include things related to all categories in I and II above, and at times more).
That was the outline version. Read on for the more detailed version:
I. Course textbooks and other reading
Our texts and reading fall into just three categories:
A. Essays, articles, and other research sources
B. Rhetoric and handbook
C. Reading of your peers' work
Here's a brief explanation for each of these:
A. Essays, articles, and other research sources
These are found in the Blair Reader (BR), online, in the library, and in movie documentaries.
To write well, you have to have something good to say. To develop what you have to say, you read essays and articles, do research, watch documentaries. It's not enough to have good grammar. You need good ideas, and need to take time to reflect on them carefully, taking notes, noticing important points, comparing one source with other sources, asking good questions.
Our reading and research from these essays, articles and other sources will be divided into four units, each about three weeks long. They are as follows (not necessarily in this order):
1. Global Warming and Environment
2. Who Controls Public Opinion and Policy, and How?
3. Rich and Poor, Discrimination and Oppression
4. War, Intervention, and the Military-Industrial Complex
These four unites were developed after more than 14 years of teaching, reading and researching with my students. My students, their research and essays played a big role in shaping the choices of topics or units.
My main criteria in developing these units was to ask myself this question:
If I were a new college student today, what kinds of issues would I want my classes to inform me about regarding the world they're preparing me to enter and participate in?
Some of the essays and articles are by women, some by men. Some represent conservative viewpoints, some represent liberal views, but my main critieria is not representing the seven or more mains sides to various issues. My main criteria is to help students reflect on and discover the truth, and which sources they can trust.
B. Rhetoric and handbook. Besides reading and research to develop good ideas, we will do some reading about different writing strategies and about how to write according to traditional conventions or standard English, and how to use the Modern Language Association (MLA) format for college papers.
The rhetoric we'll use is
St. Martin’s Guide to Writing (SMGW).
The handbook we'll use is
The College Writer’s Handbook (CWH),
supplimented by the 2006-2007 Manual for Written Communication (MWC).
C. Reading your peers' workThe third form of reading you'll do often is to read one another's assignments and essay drafts, as well as the self-evaluations of your peers, as you strive to develop your ideas and skills, and to learn from each other's strengths and weaknesses.
II. Written assignments
Written assignments will usually be posted to a designated forum on D2L, and will fall into the following categories:
A. Ungraded Assignments for reflection and practice:
Frequent ungraded assignments that give students opportunities to reflect on readings and sources, and to learn and practice writing skills. Examples:
1. Written responses to readings and other sources (ungraded-but-required, or "pass-fail").
2. Written summaries of main points in readings and other sources. As the semester progresses, these will include integrated quotes from the sources, citations, and lists of works cited
3. Written annotated bibliographies, which will become relatively easy to do after the practice of writing summaries.
4. Practice writing introductions, outlines, and other writing exercises.
All of these ungraded exercises will prepare you to develop ideas and master skills so that you're ready to use them well when you write papers, which are graded.
B. Graded papers. Students will write four graded papers, which will be posted to D2L. The first drafts will not be graded, but will also be posted to D2L. Each of these essays will correspond to one of the reading units listed above, which I list here again:
1. Who Controls Public Opinion and Policy, and How?
2. Global Warming and Environment
3. Rich and Poor, Discrimination and Oppression
4. War, Intervention, and the Military-Industrial Complex
Furthermore, each of these essays will have a special focus related to the rhetoric text and a certain style of essay or writing strategy:
1. Explaining a Concept (Who Controls Public Opinion and Policy, and How?)
2. Speculating about Causes (Global Warming and Environment)
3. Argument, or Persuasion (Rich and Poor, Discrimination and Oppression)
4. Proposing a Solution (War, Intervention, and the Military-Industrial Complex)
III. Classroom work and discussion (which will cover things related to all categories in I and II above, and at times more). Discussion will take place not only in class, but perhaps even more, on D2L (Desire to Learn), in the Discussion Forums, where students will post their work, as well as comment on each others' work, and hopefully, carry on good conversations about what unfolds in the course.
If you have any questions about how the course is organized, email me, or talk to me during my office hours or after class.
I. Course textbooks and other reading
II. Written assignments
III. Classroom work and discussion
If you consider the components of each of these two, the overall organization of the course starts to become very clear.
Here's the expanded outline, with all the sub-categories:
I. Course textbooks and other reading
A. Essays, articles, & other sources (4 units):
1. Global Warming and Environment
2. Who Controls Public Opinion and Policy, & How?
3. Rich & Poor, Discrimination & Oppression
4. War, Intervention, & the Military-Industrial Complex
B. Rhetoric & handbook
C. Reading your peers' work
II. Written assignments
A. Frequent ungraded assignments for reflection & practice:
1. Responses to readings and other sources
2. Summaries of readings and other sources
3. Annotated bibliographies
4. Practice writing introductions, outlines,
and other writing exercises, including peer feedback
B. Graded papers:
1. Explaining a Concept
(Who Controls Public Opinion and Policy, & How?)
2. Speculating about Causes
(Global Warming & Environment)
3. Argument, or Persuasion
(Rich and Poor, Discrimination & Oppression)
4. Proposing a Solution
(War, Intervention, & the Military-Industrial Complex)
III. Classroom work and discussion (which will include things related to all categories in I and II above, and at times more).
That was the outline version. Read on for the more detailed version:
I. Course textbooks and other reading
Our texts and reading fall into just three categories:
A. Essays, articles, and other research sources
B. Rhetoric and handbook
C. Reading of your peers' work
Here's a brief explanation for each of these:
A. Essays, articles, and other research sources
These are found in the Blair Reader (BR), online, in the library, and in movie documentaries.
To write well, you have to have something good to say. To develop what you have to say, you read essays and articles, do research, watch documentaries. It's not enough to have good grammar. You need good ideas, and need to take time to reflect on them carefully, taking notes, noticing important points, comparing one source with other sources, asking good questions.
Our reading and research from these essays, articles and other sources will be divided into four units, each about three weeks long. They are as follows (not necessarily in this order):
1. Global Warming and Environment
2. Who Controls Public Opinion and Policy, and How?
3. Rich and Poor, Discrimination and Oppression
4. War, Intervention, and the Military-Industrial Complex
These four unites were developed after more than 14 years of teaching, reading and researching with my students. My students, their research and essays played a big role in shaping the choices of topics or units.
My main criteria in developing these units was to ask myself this question:
If I were a new college student today, what kinds of issues would I want my classes to inform me about regarding the world they're preparing me to enter and participate in?
Some of the essays and articles are by women, some by men. Some represent conservative viewpoints, some represent liberal views, but my main critieria is not representing the seven or more mains sides to various issues. My main criteria is to help students reflect on and discover the truth, and which sources they can trust.
B. Rhetoric and handbook. Besides reading and research to develop good ideas, we will do some reading about different writing strategies and about how to write according to traditional conventions or standard English, and how to use the Modern Language Association (MLA) format for college papers.
The rhetoric we'll use is
St. Martin’s Guide to Writing (SMGW).
The handbook we'll use is
The College Writer’s Handbook (CWH),
supplimented by the 2006-2007 Manual for Written Communication (MWC).
C. Reading your peers' workThe third form of reading you'll do often is to read one another's assignments and essay drafts, as well as the self-evaluations of your peers, as you strive to develop your ideas and skills, and to learn from each other's strengths and weaknesses.
II. Written assignments
Written assignments will usually be posted to a designated forum on D2L, and will fall into the following categories:
A. Ungraded Assignments for reflection and practice:
Frequent ungraded assignments that give students opportunities to reflect on readings and sources, and to learn and practice writing skills. Examples:
1. Written responses to readings and other sources (ungraded-but-required, or "pass-fail").
2. Written summaries of main points in readings and other sources. As the semester progresses, these will include integrated quotes from the sources, citations, and lists of works cited
3. Written annotated bibliographies, which will become relatively easy to do after the practice of writing summaries.
4. Practice writing introductions, outlines, and other writing exercises.
All of these ungraded exercises will prepare you to develop ideas and master skills so that you're ready to use them well when you write papers, which are graded.
B. Graded papers. Students will write four graded papers, which will be posted to D2L. The first drafts will not be graded, but will also be posted to D2L. Each of these essays will correspond to one of the reading units listed above, which I list here again:
1. Who Controls Public Opinion and Policy, and How?
2. Global Warming and Environment
3. Rich and Poor, Discrimination and Oppression
4. War, Intervention, and the Military-Industrial Complex
Furthermore, each of these essays will have a special focus related to the rhetoric text and a certain style of essay or writing strategy:
1. Explaining a Concept (Who Controls Public Opinion and Policy, and How?)
2. Speculating about Causes (Global Warming and Environment)
3. Argument, or Persuasion (Rich and Poor, Discrimination and Oppression)
4. Proposing a Solution (War, Intervention, and the Military-Industrial Complex)
III. Classroom work and discussion (which will cover things related to all categories in I and II above, and at times more). Discussion will take place not only in class, but perhaps even more, on D2L (Desire to Learn), in the Discussion Forums, where students will post their work, as well as comment on each others' work, and hopefully, carry on good conversations about what unfolds in the course.
If you have any questions about how the course is organized, email me, or talk to me during my office hours or after class.
Tentative Assignment List
Tentative Assignment List
(Always check this course blog
for updates and more detailed description
of specific assignments.)
COURSE WEB SITE: http://www.en101fried.blogspot.com/
Key for books:
SMGW = Saint Martin's Guide to Writing
BR = The Blair Reader
CWH = The College Writer's Handbook
DATE DUE: The dates listed are usually the dates due. So do not look, for example, at the date, "8/30," and assume that there is no homework assigned that date which is due the next meeting. Look for the next meeting date to see what items are listed due on that date.
POST WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS TO D2L: Students will post written assignments like reading responses, summaries, lists of works cited (LWC), and other written work, to the appropriately designated discussion forum on D2L for that assignment. If not meeting in a computer lab, bring a hard copy to class.
READING AHEAD IN EACH UNIT: Even if you don't read ahead, in order to be prepared to write the graded essays due at the end of every unit, it will be best to at least glance ahead at all the readings in a given unit and start to think about the paper you will write for that unit. Doing the response and summary assignments for each BR and online reading will also help prepare you for writing the paper.
EASY START: After a relatively easy start, reading assignments will become longer, more numerous, and more challenging.
.................................................................................
Week 1: 8/30:
Introductions, syllabus, assignments, D2L, course blog
1) On course blog, go to "First Things" (right-hand sidebar menu). Click. Read *all* entries listed.
2) Pick 6 favorites. For each 6, write a brief 1-paragraph summary. Exclude welcome note, syllabus, tentative assignment list and plan/overview (6 brief paragraphs). Post results to the appropriate discussion forum on D2L.
3) Email instructor, saying you have read and understand the course policies from the syllabus, including the policy on honesty/plagiarism.
....................................................
Week 2: Thursday, 9/6
Start first reading and essay unit:
UNIT 1: GLOBAL WARMING ISSUES: Explain a Concept
Focus: Classification of concepts & sub-concepts.
Due:
1. Read "When Learning Hurts," by Aaron M. Schatzman, BR 142-145. Do a short response exercise and the long summary exercise in response. Assignment details on blog. Post results to the appropriate discussion forum on D2L.
Skim table of contents of SMGW and CWH; skim through indexes in back.
2. Read SMGW, Ch.5: Basic Features: Explaining a Concept (2 pages). Write brief summary of SMGW Ch.5 Basic Features. Post results to the appropriate discussion forum on D2L.
Also - skim Guide to Writing, SMGW ch.5.
3. Jediah Purdy, "Shades of Green," BR p.625. Response & summary of Purdy. Post results to the appropriate discussion forum on D2L.
Start Film: An Inconvenient Truth. Take notes on personal anecdotes, rhetorical strategies.
Assign sections of IPCC Report FAQs for students to read & summarize for next week.
Week 3: Thursday, 9/13
Finish film if time; reflect on Gore’s personal anecdotes and rhetorical strategies.
Skim CWH p.1-50: Critical Thinking. Discuss.
Discuss end-of-unit (graded) essay assignment.
Assign sections from UCS report on Exxon Disinformation.
Due:
1. Read two sections of the (sixth) IPCC Report FAQs - as split among students & assigned (see blog for web link).
2. Response and summary of #1.
Film: Crude Impact.
Take notes on outline and rhetorical strategies.
Week 4: Exposing corporate-sponsored global warming denial.
Thursday, 9/20
Due:
1. Look up “Astroturf” (pseudo grass-roots orgs).
2. Choose one of the following (a or b):
Either (a) Gillian Wong, AP: "Polluters Manipulate Climate Info" (see blog for link/URL),
or (b) Sharon Begley, "The Truth about Denial" (see blog for link).
3. Read two sections as assigned, or more, from UCS: "Exxon Mobil's Tobacco-like Disinformation Campaign on Global Warming Science," including appendix C, copies of leaked memo & letters (see blog for link).
4. Write one response to 1 plus whatever you choose or are assigned to read from 1 and 2, and write a combined summary that includes brief paragraph summaries for each reading you read, and an LWC. // For more details, see course blog.
Also: Read SMGW ch.22: Use of Sources, Quoting, Integrating Quotes, Introducing Quotes. (No summary or reaction due).
In the 6th edition, this is found at p.693-701.
In 7th edition, it’s found at 747-757. Skim CWH ch.51.
Do Integrated Quotes Exercise. See blog for details.
Discussion of readings and/or or more work on integrating quotes, LWC, and MLA issues. Talk about readings due next week.
Week 5: Enviro-Economics: Optimism, Pessimism, Realism
Thursday, 9/27
Due:
1. Choose 3 or more readings from the following:
Enviro-Economic Optimism:
Read one or both (a or b):
(a) "A Global Green Deal" by M.Hertsgaard (see blog for web link)
(b) A New Agenda for Global Warming - Joseph E. Stiglitz (see blog for web link; access requires free registration).
2. Global Warming and Pessimistic Economics (mitigation as "Economic Suicide"): Read one or both (a or b):
(a) "Greenhouse Simplicities" by Robert J. Samuelson (see blog for web link), or
(b) "Kyoto's Anniversary: Little Reason to Celebrate" By Dana Joel Gattuso (see blog for web link).
3. Global Warming and Economic Realists? Read one or both (a or b):
(a) New Growth Climate Change Theory (originally from Salon.com) (see blog for web link), or
(b) Letter: “What Will Stiglitz's Global Warming Remedy Really Cost?” by Harry D. Saunders (see blog for web link; access requires free registration).
4. CWH ch’s 51-53, MLA system and sample paper.
5. Other Environmental Issues: If you feel that work on the first draft of your first graded essay is going well, you might consider picking one or more of the essays below for more environmental topics, or do some of your own research. This assignment is optional.
- Chemicals: Rachel Carson, "The Obligation to Endure," BR 614
- Peak Oil: David R. Francis, "Why 'peak oil' may soon pique your interest," CSM (see blog for web link)
- Landfills and Recycling:
(a) Al Gore, "The Wasteland," BR 603
(b) Rathje & Murphy, "Recycling: No Panacea," BR 620
- S.T. Christensen, "Is a Tree Worth a Life?" BR p.630
- Sea-Trash and the Pacific Gyres: Kenneth R. Weiss, "Plague of Plastic Chokes the Seas" (see blog for web link)
- Other topics to research: Bleaching of choral reefs, algae blooms, over-fishing, species extinctions, and many more possibilities.
Essay 1 draft, graded or not, due today. If you plan to revise, revision also due next week. Oral readings of a student essay or two, if time.
....................................................
UNIT 2: WHO CONTROLS PUBLIC OPINION & POLICY, AND HOW? Speculate about Causes
Week 6: Advertising, Censorship, Propaganda
Thursday, 10/4
Essay 1 due today (revised) or last week (if not planning to revise). Oral readings of a student essay or two, if time.
Due:
1. Write the regular response and summary assignments, with an MLA-format list of works cited, for the reading below:
Required:
(a) Gloria Steinem, "Sex, Lies and Advertising," BR 274
Optional:
(b) John Nichols, "AT&T Censors Criticism of Bush" (see "Content" section, under Unit 2, on D2L).
2. As usual, on the date due, turn in a copy to the drop box before class. Post a copy to the appropriate discussion forum after class.
3. For the following five short readings, read all.
- Look for similarities between the readings.
- Write a response and/or summary as noted under each below.
- Create one MLA-format list of works cited for all three of the sources below. Copy and paste the works cited list into the bottom of all your summaries and responses listed as required below.
(a) Read quotes on under "content" regarding propaganda from L.H. Shoup and W. Minter's book, Imperial Brain Trust: The Council on Foreign Relations and United States Foreign Policy (see "Content" section, under Unit 2, on D2L). Write a brief response.
(b) Aldous Huxley, "Propaganda Under a Dictatorship," BR 214. Write a brief summary, but as you read, list the main ideas. Don't be too general in your summary.
(c) Article about Students for Academic Freedom (see "Content" section, under Unit 2, on D2L). Write a brief response.
(d) SourceWatch listing on “Freedom’s Watch” as “astroturf.” (see "Content" section, under Unit 2, on D2L). Write a brief response.
(e) Article about White House policy dealing with protesters at public events (see "Content" section, under Unit 2, on D2L). Write a brief response.
5. Reaction to and summary of selected polls:
Zoogby poll and others on impeachment and 9-11 (see "Content" section, under Unit 2, on D2L).
In your reaction, compare poll results with ideas from the “a” and “b” readings from Huxley, Shoup & Minter. Discussion in-class or online.
Watch Robert Greenwald documentary, Outfoxed, if time.
Week 7: Big Money, Campaign Finance, and Hired PR Guns
Thursday, 10/11
Due:
Skim CWH on process, p.52-108. Discuss.
1. One reaction to the following three readings:
(a) D. Froomkin, “Campaign Finance Reform Basics: Money Troubles” (see blog),
(b) Supreme Court to Rule on Heart of McCain-Feingold (see blog), and
(c) Update on McCain-Feingold (opensecrets.org) (see blog).
2. One reaction to the following reading: Jimmy Carter, “Fair Elections: Still Seeking a Fair Florida Vote” (see blog).
3. One reaction to one or more of the following three readings:
(a) Mitchel Cohen, "How Bush Sr. Sold the Bombing of Iraq" (see blog), or
(b) SourceWatch: Citizens for a Free Kuwait (see blog), or
(c) FAIR: HBO Recycling Gulf War Hoax? (see blog).
4. For each article, write one-paragraph summaries (5 paragraphs). One LWC for all readings. For more information, see course blog.
Extra (optional) sources to consult on election reform:
(Optional) Black Box Voting: Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Box_Voting
(Optional) Sources at Public Citizen/Clean Up Washington:
(a) Fair Elections (optional)
(b) Public Financing of Elections (optional)
(c) Campaign Finance Reform (optional), and
(d) Lobbying Reform (optional) (see blog)
Begin the film, Press for Truth. Finish if time.
Week 8: Fighting Over Anthrax, Pressing For Truth:
Who controls public perception of 9-11 and the anthrax letters?
Thursday, 10/18
Finish Film, Press for Truth, if not finished last week.
Read CWH, p.111-162. Style, paragraphs, sentences, word choice. No summary of this CWH reading.
If you feel that work on the first draft of your second graded essay is going well, you might consider picking one or more of the essays below , or do some of your own research. Optional assignment.
Optional anthrax-attack readings:
(a) The "Cold" Or "Dead End" Investigation:
Reading: Allan Lengel, "Little Progress In FBI Probe of Anthrax Attacks" (see blog).
(b) The conspiracy theory version(?): Richard Ochs, "Learning the wrong lessons" (see blog).
(c) The neocon, propaganda, damage-control version(?):
David Tell, "Remember Anthrax?" (see blog), published in the conservative Weekly Standard, edited by William Kristol (member of neocon group, Project for a New American Century).
Due today or next week: Graded essay 2. Oral readings of a few student essays if time.
....................................................
UNIT 3: RICH/POOR, FAIR/UNFAIR, JUST AND UNJUST: Argue a Position
Week 9: Readings from The Blair Reader (BR):
Thursday, 10/25
Divide up readings for week 11 (3 students per)
Due:
1. Reactions & short summaries for the following two:
(a) Jonathan Kozol, "Savage Inequalities" - BR p.112
(b) M. Sanger, "The Turbid Ebb and Flow of Misery" - BR p.553
2. Reactions & short summaries for the following two:
(a) C.R. Lawrence & M. Matsuda, "The Telltale Heart: Apology, Reparation, and Redress" - BR p.436;
(b) Russ Feingold, "The Need for a Moratorium on Executions," BR p.719
3. SMGW, ch.6 (Argument): read and summarize (long summary) Basic Features section, and skim Guide to Writing.
Week 10: The Business of Rich & Poor
Thursday, 11/1
1. Reactions & short summaries for the following two:
(a) Readings on Global Apartheid (see this blog, under weekly "due next week" detailed listing for multiple web articles and links) - choose one or more.
(b) Contrast: Darwinian "survival of the fittest" econ. & ethics?
- Garret Hardin, "Lifeboat Ethics: The Case Against 'Aid' That Harms," BR p.697
2. Reaction & short summary for readings on the Business Plot (see blog for web links).
3. SMGW: Chapter 13, Cueing the Reader. Read closely.
4. CWH, Sentence problems - ch 26, p.261-272
- Make sure readings for next week are divided among students if not already (3 students per reading).
Week 11: Anarchy, Insanity, or Truth-to-Power?
Thursday, 11/8
1.Reactions & short summaries for the following three:
(a) Henry David Thoreau, "Civil Disobedience," BR p.664
(b) Martin Luther King, Jr., "Letter from Birmingham Jail," BR p.682.
(c) Research and consider worldwide February 15, 2003 protests, organized largely via email, internet and word of mouth (new phenomena).
2. Choose and read two as divided up in class. For each, write a reaction and a short (paragraph) summary.
- Malcolm X, "A Homemade Education," BR p. 173
- Alleen Pace Nilsen, "Sexism in English..." BR p.203
- Henry Louis Gates Jr., "One Internet, Two Nations," BR p.499
- Brent Staples, "Just Walk On By," BR p.417
- Scott R. Sanders, "The Men We Carry in Our Minds," BR p.345
- Judy Brady, "Why I Want a Wife," BR p.348
- Christina Hoff Summers, "The War Against Boys," BR p.380
- Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, "The Girls of Gen X," BR p.372
- Or propose another article reflecting your own interests in discrimination or poverty issues.
Due today or next week: Graded essay 3. Oral readings of a few student essays if time.
....................................................
UNIT 4: WARFARE, INTERVENTIONS, AND THE MILITARY-INDUSTRIAL (-MEDIA-CONGRESSIONAL) COMPLEX - Propose a Solution
Week 12: A Broken System?
Thursday, 11/15
1. Reactions & short summaries for the following three:
(a) D. Hastings: Whistleblowers on Fraud Facing Penalties (see blog)
(b) Ryan Olden, "Former Abu Ghraib commander repeats allegation that Rumsfeld ordered abuses" (see blog for link).
(c) "A Misplaced Vlaue on Guns" - BR
2. Divide and assign short chapters of General Smedley Butler’s short book, available online, to be read by students by after break.
3. Write a summary (long form) of the Basic Features section from “Proposing a Solution,” SMGW ch. 7. Also skim “Guide to Writing” in same chapter.
If time: start documentary film: Why We Fight
Week 13: Thanksgiving Break
Week 14: Why We Fight – & Whether it’s Conservative.
Thursday, 11/29
Finish documentary film (if not finished before break): Why We Fight
Due:
1. Reaction & short summary of speech by John J. Duncan, Jr. R of TN (choose one of two, online - see this blog for links)
2. Reaction & short summary of assigned chapter(s) from General Smedley Butler’s short book, available online.
3. Reaction & short summary of online sources related to defense spending; consider hidden costs.
Discussion & workshop. Preview next week's readings.
Week 15: Interventions, for Good or Ill
Thursday, 12/6
A History of Military Interventions (see blog for links and details on reaction and/or summary due)
A History of (Some Known) Formerly Secret CIA Interventions (see blog for link and details on reaction and/or summary) - also see Proxy Wars
Discussion:
Putting it All Together: An Experiment in Synthesis
How does each of this course's four units relate to others?
Take notes.
Workshop, questions, synthesis.
Final:
Thursday, 12/13 6PM-8PM
Room AH203
(Always check this course blog
for updates and more detailed description
of specific assignments.)
COURSE WEB SITE: http://www.en101fried.blogspot.com/
Key for books:
SMGW = Saint Martin's Guide to Writing
BR = The Blair Reader
CWH = The College Writer's Handbook
DATE DUE: The dates listed are usually the dates due. So do not look, for example, at the date, "8/30," and assume that there is no homework assigned that date which is due the next meeting. Look for the next meeting date to see what items are listed due on that date.
POST WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS TO D2L: Students will post written assignments like reading responses, summaries, lists of works cited (LWC), and other written work, to the appropriately designated discussion forum on D2L for that assignment. If not meeting in a computer lab, bring a hard copy to class.
READING AHEAD IN EACH UNIT: Even if you don't read ahead, in order to be prepared to write the graded essays due at the end of every unit, it will be best to at least glance ahead at all the readings in a given unit and start to think about the paper you will write for that unit. Doing the response and summary assignments for each BR and online reading will also help prepare you for writing the paper.
EASY START: After a relatively easy start, reading assignments will become longer, more numerous, and more challenging.
.................................................................................
Week 1: 8/30:
Introductions, syllabus, assignments, D2L, course blog
1) On course blog, go to "First Things" (right-hand sidebar menu). Click. Read *all* entries listed.
2) Pick 6 favorites. For each 6, write a brief 1-paragraph summary. Exclude welcome note, syllabus, tentative assignment list and plan/overview (6 brief paragraphs). Post results to the appropriate discussion forum on D2L.
3) Email instructor, saying you have read and understand the course policies from the syllabus, including the policy on honesty/plagiarism.
....................................................
Week 2: Thursday, 9/6
Start first reading and essay unit:
UNIT 1: GLOBAL WARMING ISSUES: Explain a Concept
Focus: Classification of concepts & sub-concepts.
Due:
1. Read "When Learning Hurts," by Aaron M. Schatzman, BR 142-145. Do a short response exercise and the long summary exercise in response. Assignment details on blog. Post results to the appropriate discussion forum on D2L.
Skim table of contents of SMGW and CWH; skim through indexes in back.
2. Read SMGW, Ch.5: Basic Features: Explaining a Concept (2 pages). Write brief summary of SMGW Ch.5 Basic Features. Post results to the appropriate discussion forum on D2L.
Also - skim Guide to Writing, SMGW ch.5.
3. Jediah Purdy, "Shades of Green," BR p.625. Response & summary of Purdy. Post results to the appropriate discussion forum on D2L.
Start Film: An Inconvenient Truth. Take notes on personal anecdotes, rhetorical strategies.
Assign sections of IPCC Report FAQs for students to read & summarize for next week.
Week 3: Thursday, 9/13
Finish film if time; reflect on Gore’s personal anecdotes and rhetorical strategies.
Skim CWH p.1-50: Critical Thinking. Discuss.
Discuss end-of-unit (graded) essay assignment.
Assign sections from UCS report on Exxon Disinformation.
Due:
1. Read two sections of the (sixth) IPCC Report FAQs - as split among students & assigned (see blog for web link).
2. Response and summary of #1.
Film: Crude Impact.
Take notes on outline and rhetorical strategies.
Week 4: Exposing corporate-sponsored global warming denial.
Thursday, 9/20
Due:
1. Look up “Astroturf” (pseudo grass-roots orgs).
2. Choose one of the following (a or b):
Either (a) Gillian Wong, AP: "Polluters Manipulate Climate Info" (see blog for link/URL),
or (b) Sharon Begley, "The Truth about Denial" (see blog for link).
3. Read two sections as assigned, or more, from UCS: "Exxon Mobil's Tobacco-like Disinformation Campaign on Global Warming Science," including appendix C, copies of leaked memo & letters (see blog for link).
4. Write one response to 1 plus whatever you choose or are assigned to read from 1 and 2, and write a combined summary that includes brief paragraph summaries for each reading you read, and an LWC. // For more details, see course blog.
Also: Read SMGW ch.22: Use of Sources, Quoting, Integrating Quotes, Introducing Quotes. (No summary or reaction due).
In the 6th edition, this is found at p.693-701.
In 7th edition, it’s found at 747-757. Skim CWH ch.51.
Do Integrated Quotes Exercise. See blog for details.
Discussion of readings and/or or more work on integrating quotes, LWC, and MLA issues. Talk about readings due next week.
Week 5: Enviro-Economics: Optimism, Pessimism, Realism
Thursday, 9/27
Due:
1. Choose 3 or more readings from the following:
Enviro-Economic Optimism:
Read one or both (a or b):
(a) "A Global Green Deal" by M.Hertsgaard (see blog for web link)
(b) A New Agenda for Global Warming - Joseph E. Stiglitz (see blog for web link; access requires free registration).
2. Global Warming and Pessimistic Economics (mitigation as "Economic Suicide"): Read one or both (a or b):
(a) "Greenhouse Simplicities" by Robert J. Samuelson (see blog for web link), or
(b) "Kyoto's Anniversary: Little Reason to Celebrate" By Dana Joel Gattuso (see blog for web link).
3. Global Warming and Economic Realists? Read one or both (a or b):
(a) New Growth Climate Change Theory (originally from Salon.com) (see blog for web link), or
(b) Letter: “What Will Stiglitz's Global Warming Remedy Really Cost?” by Harry D. Saunders (see blog for web link; access requires free registration).
4. CWH ch’s 51-53, MLA system and sample paper.
5. Other Environmental Issues: If you feel that work on the first draft of your first graded essay is going well, you might consider picking one or more of the essays below for more environmental topics, or do some of your own research. This assignment is optional.
- Chemicals: Rachel Carson, "The Obligation to Endure," BR 614
- Peak Oil: David R. Francis, "Why 'peak oil' may soon pique your interest," CSM (see blog for web link)
- Landfills and Recycling:
(a) Al Gore, "The Wasteland," BR 603
(b) Rathje & Murphy, "Recycling: No Panacea," BR 620
- S.T. Christensen, "Is a Tree Worth a Life?" BR p.630
- Sea-Trash and the Pacific Gyres: Kenneth R. Weiss, "Plague of Plastic Chokes the Seas" (see blog for web link)
- Other topics to research: Bleaching of choral reefs, algae blooms, over-fishing, species extinctions, and many more possibilities.
Essay 1 draft, graded or not, due today. If you plan to revise, revision also due next week. Oral readings of a student essay or two, if time.
....................................................
UNIT 2: WHO CONTROLS PUBLIC OPINION & POLICY, AND HOW? Speculate about Causes
Week 6: Advertising, Censorship, Propaganda
Thursday, 10/4
Essay 1 due today (revised) or last week (if not planning to revise). Oral readings of a student essay or two, if time.
Due:
1. Write the regular response and summary assignments, with an MLA-format list of works cited, for the reading below:
Required:
(a) Gloria Steinem, "Sex, Lies and Advertising," BR 274
Optional:
(b) John Nichols, "AT&T Censors Criticism of Bush" (see "Content" section, under Unit 2, on D2L).
2. As usual, on the date due, turn in a copy to the drop box before class. Post a copy to the appropriate discussion forum after class.
3. For the following five short readings, read all.
- Look for similarities between the readings.
- Write a response and/or summary as noted under each below.
- Create one MLA-format list of works cited for all three of the sources below. Copy and paste the works cited list into the bottom of all your summaries and responses listed as required below.
(a) Read quotes on under "content" regarding propaganda from L.H. Shoup and W. Minter's book, Imperial Brain Trust: The Council on Foreign Relations and United States Foreign Policy (see "Content" section, under Unit 2, on D2L). Write a brief response.
(b) Aldous Huxley, "Propaganda Under a Dictatorship," BR 214. Write a brief summary, but as you read, list the main ideas. Don't be too general in your summary.
(c) Article about Students for Academic Freedom (see "Content" section, under Unit 2, on D2L). Write a brief response.
(d) SourceWatch listing on “Freedom’s Watch” as “astroturf.” (see "Content" section, under Unit 2, on D2L). Write a brief response.
(e) Article about White House policy dealing with protesters at public events (see "Content" section, under Unit 2, on D2L). Write a brief response.
5. Reaction to and summary of selected polls:
Zoogby poll and others on impeachment and 9-11 (see "Content" section, under Unit 2, on D2L).
In your reaction, compare poll results with ideas from the “a” and “b” readings from Huxley, Shoup & Minter. Discussion in-class or online.
Watch Robert Greenwald documentary, Outfoxed, if time.
Week 7: Big Money, Campaign Finance, and Hired PR Guns
Thursday, 10/11
Due:
Skim CWH on process, p.52-108. Discuss.
1. One reaction to the following three readings:
(a) D. Froomkin, “Campaign Finance Reform Basics: Money Troubles” (see blog),
(b) Supreme Court to Rule on Heart of McCain-Feingold (see blog), and
(c) Update on McCain-Feingold (opensecrets.org) (see blog).
2. One reaction to the following reading: Jimmy Carter, “Fair Elections: Still Seeking a Fair Florida Vote” (see blog).
3. One reaction to one or more of the following three readings:
(a) Mitchel Cohen, "How Bush Sr. Sold the Bombing of Iraq" (see blog), or
(b) SourceWatch: Citizens for a Free Kuwait (see blog), or
(c) FAIR: HBO Recycling Gulf War Hoax? (see blog).
4. For each article, write one-paragraph summaries (5 paragraphs). One LWC for all readings. For more information, see course blog.
Extra (optional) sources to consult on election reform:
(Optional) Black Box Voting: Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Box_Voting
(Optional) Sources at Public Citizen/Clean Up Washington:
(a) Fair Elections (optional)
(b) Public Financing of Elections (optional)
(c) Campaign Finance Reform (optional), and
(d) Lobbying Reform (optional) (see blog)
Begin the film, Press for Truth. Finish if time.
Week 8: Fighting Over Anthrax, Pressing For Truth:
Who controls public perception of 9-11 and the anthrax letters?
Thursday, 10/18
Finish Film, Press for Truth, if not finished last week.
Read CWH, p.111-162. Style, paragraphs, sentences, word choice. No summary of this CWH reading.
If you feel that work on the first draft of your second graded essay is going well, you might consider picking one or more of the essays below , or do some of your own research. Optional assignment.
Optional anthrax-attack readings:
(a) The "Cold" Or "Dead End" Investigation:
Reading: Allan Lengel, "Little Progress In FBI Probe of Anthrax Attacks" (see blog).
(b) The conspiracy theory version(?): Richard Ochs, "Learning the wrong lessons" (see blog).
(c) The neocon, propaganda, damage-control version(?):
David Tell, "Remember Anthrax?" (see blog), published in the conservative Weekly Standard, edited by William Kristol (member of neocon group, Project for a New American Century).
Due today or next week: Graded essay 2. Oral readings of a few student essays if time.
....................................................
UNIT 3: RICH/POOR, FAIR/UNFAIR, JUST AND UNJUST: Argue a Position
Week 9: Readings from The Blair Reader (BR):
Thursday, 10/25
Divide up readings for week 11 (3 students per)
Due:
1. Reactions & short summaries for the following two:
(a) Jonathan Kozol, "Savage Inequalities" - BR p.112
(b) M. Sanger, "The Turbid Ebb and Flow of Misery" - BR p.553
2. Reactions & short summaries for the following two:
(a) C.R. Lawrence & M. Matsuda, "The Telltale Heart: Apology, Reparation, and Redress" - BR p.436;
(b) Russ Feingold, "The Need for a Moratorium on Executions," BR p.719
3. SMGW, ch.6 (Argument): read and summarize (long summary) Basic Features section, and skim Guide to Writing.
Week 10: The Business of Rich & Poor
Thursday, 11/1
1. Reactions & short summaries for the following two:
(a) Readings on Global Apartheid (see this blog, under weekly "due next week" detailed listing for multiple web articles and links) - choose one or more.
(b) Contrast: Darwinian "survival of the fittest" econ. & ethics?
- Garret Hardin, "Lifeboat Ethics: The Case Against 'Aid' That Harms," BR p.697
2. Reaction & short summary for readings on the Business Plot (see blog for web links).
3. SMGW: Chapter 13, Cueing the Reader. Read closely.
4. CWH, Sentence problems - ch 26, p.261-272
- Make sure readings for next week are divided among students if not already (3 students per reading).
Week 11: Anarchy, Insanity, or Truth-to-Power?
Thursday, 11/8
1.Reactions & short summaries for the following three:
(a) Henry David Thoreau, "Civil Disobedience," BR p.664
(b) Martin Luther King, Jr., "Letter from Birmingham Jail," BR p.682.
(c) Research and consider worldwide February 15, 2003 protests, organized largely via email, internet and word of mouth (new phenomena).
2. Choose and read two as divided up in class. For each, write a reaction and a short (paragraph) summary.
- Malcolm X, "A Homemade Education," BR p. 173
- Alleen Pace Nilsen, "Sexism in English..." BR p.203
- Henry Louis Gates Jr., "One Internet, Two Nations," BR p.499
- Brent Staples, "Just Walk On By," BR p.417
- Scott R. Sanders, "The Men We Carry in Our Minds," BR p.345
- Judy Brady, "Why I Want a Wife," BR p.348
- Christina Hoff Summers, "The War Against Boys," BR p.380
- Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, "The Girls of Gen X," BR p.372
- Or propose another article reflecting your own interests in discrimination or poverty issues.
Due today or next week: Graded essay 3. Oral readings of a few student essays if time.
....................................................
UNIT 4: WARFARE, INTERVENTIONS, AND THE MILITARY-INDUSTRIAL (-MEDIA-CONGRESSIONAL) COMPLEX - Propose a Solution
Week 12: A Broken System?
Thursday, 11/15
1. Reactions & short summaries for the following three:
(a) D. Hastings: Whistleblowers on Fraud Facing Penalties (see blog)
(b) Ryan Olden, "Former Abu Ghraib commander repeats allegation that Rumsfeld ordered abuses" (see blog for link).
(c) "A Misplaced Vlaue on Guns" - BR
2. Divide and assign short chapters of General Smedley Butler’s short book, available online, to be read by students by after break.
3. Write a summary (long form) of the Basic Features section from “Proposing a Solution,” SMGW ch. 7. Also skim “Guide to Writing” in same chapter.
If time: start documentary film: Why We Fight
Week 13: Thanksgiving Break
Week 14: Why We Fight – & Whether it’s Conservative.
Thursday, 11/29
Finish documentary film (if not finished before break): Why We Fight
Due:
1. Reaction & short summary of speech by John J. Duncan, Jr. R of TN (choose one of two, online - see this blog for links)
2. Reaction & short summary of assigned chapter(s) from General Smedley Butler’s short book, available online.
3. Reaction & short summary of online sources related to defense spending; consider hidden costs.
Discussion & workshop. Preview next week's readings.
Week 15: Interventions, for Good or Ill
Thursday, 12/6
A History of Military Interventions (see blog for links and details on reaction and/or summary due)
A History of (Some Known) Formerly Secret CIA Interventions (see blog for link and details on reaction and/or summary) - also see Proxy Wars
Discussion:
Putting it All Together: An Experiment in Synthesis
How does each of this course's four units relate to others?
Take notes.
Workshop, questions, synthesis.
Final:
Thursday, 12/13 6PM-8PM
Room AH203
Syllabus
ENG-101 SYLLABUS, Composition
MSU-Mankato, Fall 2007
Section 49, course ID 006248
DAYS/DATES: Thursdays, 08/30/07 - 12/13/2007
Time: 6:00 – 9:30
Room: AH 203
INSTRUCTOR: Paul Fried (pronounced “Freed”)
E-MAIL: paul.fried@mnsu.edu
OFFICE: AH201K
OFFICE HOURS: 2-5, Thursdays, plus e-hours
OFFICE PHONE: 389-5540
COURSE WEB SITE: http://www.en101fried.blogspot.com/
This syllabus is tentative and subject to change at the instructor's discretion.
REQUIRED TEXTS available from Textbook Servies:
St. Martin’s Guide to Writing, 6th edition, Axelrod & Cooper
The Blair Reader, 4th edition, Kirszner & Mandell
The College Writer’s Handbook, VanderMey, Meyer, et al
REQUIRED TEXTS available at the University Bookstore:
A college-level dictionary (one you don’t have to plug in)
OTHER REQUIRED MATERIALS:
Paper clips or a stapler
A folder or folders for storing/sorting papers & materials.
THE OFFICIAL COURSE DESCRIPTION: See General Education English Composition description at this link:
http://english.mnsu.edu/genedgoals.htm
Category 1: Communication
Goal: To develop writers and speakers who use the English language effectively and who read, write, speak, and listen critically. At a base, all students should complete introductory communication requirements early in their college studies. Writing competency is an ongoing process to be reinforced through writing-intensive courses and writing across the curriculum. Speaking and listening skills need reinforcement. There are multiple opportunities for interpersonal communication, public speaking and discussion.
Part A: English Composition
(requires one course, 3 credits or more, with a grade of at least a "C")
Goal: To develop writers who use the English language effectively and who read and write critically. This course will require faculty-critiqued writing. Writing competency is an ongoing process which needs to be reinforced throughout the curriculum.
Students will be able to:
(a) demonstrate and practice strategies for idea generation, audience analysis, organization of texts, drafting, evaluation of drafts, revision, and editing;
(b) write papers of varying lengths that demonstrate effective explanation, analysis, and argumentation;
(c) become experienced in computer-assisted writing and research;
(d) locate and evaluate material, using PALS, the Internet, and other sources;
(e) analyze and synthesize source material, making appropriate use of paraphrase, summary, quotation, and citation conventions;
(f) employ syntax and usage appropriate to academic writing and the professional world.
(g) employ syntax, usage and analytical techniques appropriate to academic disciplines and the professional world.
Two MAIN GOALS/OUTCOMES/OBJECTIVES: We'll focus especially on 1) reading and writing analytically and critically, and 2) writing proficiently in standard English with respect to form and style. Much of this will take place aided by class discussion and/or online (D2L) discussion.
TO READ AND WRITE ANALYTICALLY: To analyze is to understand something deeply in all its aspects or components, taken apart and as a whole; so to read and write analytically means to strive for a deep and multi-faceted understanding of your subject matter and of your own writing. To analyze is to understand thoroughly. In-class and online discussion will help. Two heads are better than one; think of 26 heads….
TO READ AND WRITE CRITICALLY: Here, “critically” is meant not in the sense of tearing something or someone down, but in the sense of exercising good, discerning judgment. Can an author or text be trusted? Are there biases to consider? Might a text be well-written and used as a model for your own writing? How might your own ideas and drafts be well-developed, or in need of revision? To be critical, in the positive sense, is to have good, discerning judgment about what is good, true, beautiful, eloquent or interesting. Some judgment questions are subjective: Might an essay prove interesting to a certain reader? Some judgments relate more to truth and facts and are therefore determined more by evidence than opinion. In-class and online discussion will help (26 heads are better than one).
THE IMPORTANCE OF ASKING QUESTIONS:
To read and write analytically and critically requires asking many good questions, and getting in the habit of doing so. For reading: Who is the author, and what is her/his bias? In what historical and/or cultural context was the text written, and how might events of the time have influenced the text? Who is the intended audience? To write analytically and critically also requires asking certain questions habitually.
SYNTHESIS:
To write analytically and critically also requires the ability to synthesize, or put pieces together, from many diverse sources and readings. Discussion in class and online (D2L) can serve as important tools in developing syntheses after reading various texts and reflecting on them.
A THEMATIC APPROACH:
Some writing classes start by having students read essays in various rhetorical styles or forms (narrative, description, argument). Not this one. We will be reading essays based on certain themes, discussing them, developing our understandings of the subject and rhetorical forms, and then writing.
WRITING HELP/TUTORS: The Center for Academic Excellence , in the basement of the library, is free, and is a good place with peer tutors ready to help with feedback, ideas about writing strategies, and suggestions. If you struggle with your writing, feel the college writing challenge is too much, or just want to try it, the Center for Academic Excellence is a great place to go: They won’t do your work, but they’ll help by acting as guides. Office: ML 125 / Tutoring and Academic Support: ML 116 / (507) 389-1791
COURSE POLICIES:
1. Attend: Attendance at all class meetings is required.
- Frequently absent students often get lower grades; their work reflects that they missed things covered in class, and/or absences are a symptom of a general lack of commitment to the course. Commit yourself to your classes and to learning as much as you can.
- Perfect attendance never guarantees perfect grades, but it can help.
- It is always better, for both your learning and your grades, to come to class without an assignment that is due than to skip class to cover for being unprepared.
- Exceptions are made for serious illness, family emergencies, religious observations, and college sports or extra-curricular events
- When seriously ill or in an emergency, contact the Dean.
- If an illness or emergency keeps you from school for too long, and if you have too much work to make up, it is often better to talk to the Dean about a temporary leave from school.
- When absent, students are responsible (a) to learn from classmates what was covered in class, (b) to hand in assignments by email and/or on D2L by the required deadlines, and (c) do other required work on time or early if possible when they anticipate being absent; if “early” or “on time” are not possible, then by the next class meeting after an absence, unless given an extension (rare). More than four absences will affect your grade.
- Talk to me if you know you’ll miss class for any reason, and after you missed.
- A fifth absence will lower your grade by one letter; a sixth will result in a D or lower.
- A seventh absence will result in an F for the course.
- Some events and discussions will unfold in class that simply can’t be made up. That is the nature of life. Choices in favor of some opportunities rule out other opportunities.
2. Be on time or early, not late; complete all work due on time.
- Being 10 minutes late to class on two occasions adds up to one absence.
- Late assignments: If you have trouble and need more time, talk to me: I will sometimes offer an extension of one class meeting for late assignments. No more than that.
- Work that is more than one class meeting late will receive a reduced grade:
- Two class meetings late: Reduced by one letter grade.
- Three class meetings late: Reduced by two letter grades.
- Exception: Work due at the end of the semester cannot be late.
3. Participate. Share your thoughts. Listen actively to the instructor and classmates. Have a notebook open and ready at all times, even if there’s nothing to note. “The readiness is all.” (Shakespeare).
4. Keep up, even if class is canceled: If class is canceled due to weather, instructor illness, or other emergency, all the work due on that date is still due on that date. We will just miss out on in-class discussion that day. In other words, if class is canceled, we will not skip a week on the schedule of assignments. Just more to talk about at the next meeting.
5. Be clean, courteous and responsible: No food or beverages (except water) in class. Clean up after yourself. In computer labs, turn off monitors before you leave. Log off. If it’s the last class of the day, go through the shut-down routine from the start menu. Turn out lights.
6. Be Honest. Your work should be your own, current work, not a high school paper, not a paper written for another college class, not the work of another student, family member or stranger, not writing taken without attribution from a book, recording or Internet source. For more information, see “plagiarism” in 2006-2007 Manual for Written Communication.
7. Be respectful toward fellow students and your instructor. Don’t take up class time by trying to conference with the instructor when class should be starting. Respect differences of opinions and different levels of ability. Where you are weak, another may be strong, and vice versa. Find ways to cooperate and learn from one another, even (sometimes especially) through differences. Don’t insult. Any harassment is a violation of university policy. See 2006-2007 Manual for Written Communication.
8. Students with disabilities are welcome. Please note:
MSU welcomes students with disabilities into the university’s education programs and activities. Students with disability-related needs for reasonable accommodations should contact the Office of Disability Services. Before final decisions can be made about allowing accommodations, students must provide sufficient documentation. Contact Julie Snow, Director, Office of Disability Services, phone: 507-389-2825 (Voice/TTY) julie.snow@mnsu.edu
9. Be studious and prepared: Bring to class all assignments and texts relevant to the day’s work and the next meeting’s assignments. If unsure, bring all texts. Do all required reading carefully. Be prepared to participate. Write, rewrite, and edit carefully. Don’t merely edit first drafts. Work hard. Improve. Learn. Grow. Live fully. Bring passion to your work. You only go to college once, usually. Make it the best learning experience you can.
10. Avoid distractions: a) Turn off cell phones during class, and no text-messaging. Even if you can set cell phones to vibrate without ringing, turn them off. Eliminate the potential distraction to you and the class. b) When and if class meets in a computer lab, during class time, no email or Internet use unrelated to class. If class meets in a multi-hour block with breaks, it’s better to use the break time to visit with classmates, to get up and stretch, to get a drink of water. Cell phones and online tools are great and helpful, but they become distractions too easily during class time. During break time, use them rarely and with discretion, making certain your use doesn't stray beyond the borders of break time and into class time. Violations of this rule may, at the instructor’s discretion, count as being late for class. Twice will count as an absence. Be prudent. Don’t be distracted. Stay focused.
ASSIGNMENTS:
There will be many written assignments, including four formal papers, but even more informal writing to prepare you for writing the papers. My general approach is to have many low-pressure writing assignments where students can learn, make mistakes, correct them, and work toward not only “getting it right,” but developing good writing habits so that they rarely “get it wrong.”
UNGRADED-BUT-REQUIRED, OR “PASS-FAIL”ASSIGNMENTS:
Some assignments will be ungraded but required, or pass-fail (UBR/PF). Most students do fine on these, but a few have to re-do them if they mess up, get lazy, don’t follow the directions or don’t meet the requirements of the assignment. I tend not to mark these down for spelling, grammar or punctuation issues, but I notice areas where you may need work. Purposes:
1. To get you writing a lot
2. To introduce certain new skills a bit at a time
3. To get you to pay closer attention to your writing habits
4. Once you pay attention, to help you improve them.
Examples of short UBR/PF assignments:
- Recording your assumptions and guesses: Writing what you know about a topic, and your opinions on the topic, before reading an article on it.
- Summarizing and/or outlining an article, chapter, or section you’ve read.
- Recording how your knowledge expanded and/or opinion may have been altered by the article you read, and new questions it raises.
- Doing brief self-evaluations of your summaries and first drafts.
- Finding peer drafts whose self-evaluations indicate strengths and weaknesses are complimentary to your own.
- Reading and commenting on peer summaries, drafts and self-evaluations.
- Contributing to online (D2L) class discussion about a reading or issue.
- Annotated bibliographies.
- Practice writing types of introductory paragraphs.
- And more as requested.
READING AND ESSAY UNITS/TOPIC GROUPS:
Students will write four graded essays. Readings, and the student essays written in response, will be arranged in units. First drafts will be ungraded but required, and will be posted in designated discussion forums on D2L (Desire to Learn) for discussion, collaboration and feedback. Final drafts will also be posted to D2L.
LIST OF READING AND ESSAY UNITS/TOPIC GROUPS:
1. Global Warming and Environment
2. Who Controls Public Opinion and Policy, and How?
3. Rich and Poor, Discrimination and Oppression
4. War, Intervention, and the Military-Industrial Complex
TURNING IN ASSIGNMENTS To Instructor & Class:
Students will email most assignments to the instructor, and also post them to designated discussion forums on D2L (Desire to Learn). Students may be asked to submit them online to Turnitin. Student work in this section of this class is not merely a private communication between student and instructor, but is contributed to the whole class and made available for collaborative efforts to learn. In the past, students have viewed this not as a burden but as a great tool and advantage. Grades are still private and confidential, and will not be posted for others to see, but assigned work and feedback from peers and instructor are contributed as public comments to help the whole class learn. Often students learn as much from their peers’ essays, from their successes and mistakes, and from the feedback given to their peers, as they do from feedback they receive on their own writing.
GRADING:
Grades reflect an instructor’s effort to discern the level of a student’s ability and achievement. It’s more important to focus on how much you learn, and how to learn it in a way that will be of lasting value, than to focus on grades as in any way detached from learning. Do your best, and I will try to do my best. If it helps to put your mind at ease, you might appreciate knowing that my past students have found me to be a fair grader. For more information, see the course blog.
If a first draft shows only editing and no major revision or needed improvements in the final draft, the final draft may be eligible for no more than a “C” grade.
Note: This grading criteria is tentative and subject to change at the instructor's discretion.
Essay 1: 20%
Essay 2: 20%
Essay 3: 20%
Essay 4: 20%
In-class
participation: 10%
D2L
participation*: 10%
* D2L tracks individual student usage, reading and posting.
If UBR/PF assignments are missing or not revised as requested to correct deficiencies, they will count against your grade the same as absences.
MSU-Mankato, Fall 2007
Section 49, course ID 006248
DAYS/DATES: Thursdays, 08/30/07 - 12/13/2007
Time: 6:00 – 9:30
Room: AH 203
INSTRUCTOR: Paul Fried (pronounced “Freed”)
E-MAIL: paul.fried@mnsu.edu
OFFICE: AH201K
OFFICE HOURS: 2-5, Thursdays, plus e-hours
OFFICE PHONE: 389-5540
COURSE WEB SITE: http://www.en101fried.blogspot.com/
This syllabus is tentative and subject to change at the instructor's discretion.
REQUIRED TEXTS available from Textbook Servies:
St. Martin’s Guide to Writing, 6th edition, Axelrod & Cooper
The Blair Reader, 4th edition, Kirszner & Mandell
The College Writer’s Handbook, VanderMey, Meyer, et al
REQUIRED TEXTS available at the University Bookstore:
A college-level dictionary (one you don’t have to plug in)
OTHER REQUIRED MATERIALS:
Paper clips or a stapler
A folder or folders for storing/sorting papers & materials.
THE OFFICIAL COURSE DESCRIPTION: See General Education English Composition description at this link:
http://english.mnsu.edu/genedgoals.htm
Category 1: Communication
Goal: To develop writers and speakers who use the English language effectively and who read, write, speak, and listen critically. At a base, all students should complete introductory communication requirements early in their college studies. Writing competency is an ongoing process to be reinforced through writing-intensive courses and writing across the curriculum. Speaking and listening skills need reinforcement. There are multiple opportunities for interpersonal communication, public speaking and discussion.
Part A: English Composition
(requires one course, 3 credits or more, with a grade of at least a "C")
Goal: To develop writers who use the English language effectively and who read and write critically. This course will require faculty-critiqued writing. Writing competency is an ongoing process which needs to be reinforced throughout the curriculum.
Students will be able to:
(a) demonstrate and practice strategies for idea generation, audience analysis, organization of texts, drafting, evaluation of drafts, revision, and editing;
(b) write papers of varying lengths that demonstrate effective explanation, analysis, and argumentation;
(c) become experienced in computer-assisted writing and research;
(d) locate and evaluate material, using PALS, the Internet, and other sources;
(e) analyze and synthesize source material, making appropriate use of paraphrase, summary, quotation, and citation conventions;
(f) employ syntax and usage appropriate to academic writing and the professional world.
(g) employ syntax, usage and analytical techniques appropriate to academic disciplines and the professional world.
Two MAIN GOALS/OUTCOMES/OBJECTIVES: We'll focus especially on 1) reading and writing analytically and critically, and 2) writing proficiently in standard English with respect to form and style. Much of this will take place aided by class discussion and/or online (D2L) discussion.
TO READ AND WRITE ANALYTICALLY: To analyze is to understand something deeply in all its aspects or components, taken apart and as a whole; so to read and write analytically means to strive for a deep and multi-faceted understanding of your subject matter and of your own writing. To analyze is to understand thoroughly. In-class and online discussion will help. Two heads are better than one; think of 26 heads….
TO READ AND WRITE CRITICALLY: Here, “critically” is meant not in the sense of tearing something or someone down, but in the sense of exercising good, discerning judgment. Can an author or text be trusted? Are there biases to consider? Might a text be well-written and used as a model for your own writing? How might your own ideas and drafts be well-developed, or in need of revision? To be critical, in the positive sense, is to have good, discerning judgment about what is good, true, beautiful, eloquent or interesting. Some judgment questions are subjective: Might an essay prove interesting to a certain reader? Some judgments relate more to truth and facts and are therefore determined more by evidence than opinion. In-class and online discussion will help (26 heads are better than one).
THE IMPORTANCE OF ASKING QUESTIONS:
To read and write analytically and critically requires asking many good questions, and getting in the habit of doing so. For reading: Who is the author, and what is her/his bias? In what historical and/or cultural context was the text written, and how might events of the time have influenced the text? Who is the intended audience? To write analytically and critically also requires asking certain questions habitually.
SYNTHESIS:
To write analytically and critically also requires the ability to synthesize, or put pieces together, from many diverse sources and readings. Discussion in class and online (D2L) can serve as important tools in developing syntheses after reading various texts and reflecting on them.
A THEMATIC APPROACH:
Some writing classes start by having students read essays in various rhetorical styles or forms (narrative, description, argument). Not this one. We will be reading essays based on certain themes, discussing them, developing our understandings of the subject and rhetorical forms, and then writing.
WRITING HELP/TUTORS: The Center for Academic Excellence , in the basement of the library, is free, and is a good place with peer tutors ready to help with feedback, ideas about writing strategies, and suggestions. If you struggle with your writing, feel the college writing challenge is too much, or just want to try it, the Center for Academic Excellence is a great place to go: They won’t do your work, but they’ll help by acting as guides. Office: ML 125 / Tutoring and Academic Support: ML 116 / (507) 389-1791
COURSE POLICIES:
1. Attend: Attendance at all class meetings is required.
- Frequently absent students often get lower grades; their work reflects that they missed things covered in class, and/or absences are a symptom of a general lack of commitment to the course. Commit yourself to your classes and to learning as much as you can.
- Perfect attendance never guarantees perfect grades, but it can help.
- It is always better, for both your learning and your grades, to come to class without an assignment that is due than to skip class to cover for being unprepared.
- Exceptions are made for serious illness, family emergencies, religious observations, and college sports or extra-curricular events
- When seriously ill or in an emergency, contact the Dean.
- If an illness or emergency keeps you from school for too long, and if you have too much work to make up, it is often better to talk to the Dean about a temporary leave from school.
- When absent, students are responsible (a) to learn from classmates what was covered in class, (b) to hand in assignments by email and/or on D2L by the required deadlines, and (c) do other required work on time or early if possible when they anticipate being absent; if “early” or “on time” are not possible, then by the next class meeting after an absence, unless given an extension (rare). More than four absences will affect your grade.
- Talk to me if you know you’ll miss class for any reason, and after you missed.
- A fifth absence will lower your grade by one letter; a sixth will result in a D or lower.
- A seventh absence will result in an F for the course.
- Some events and discussions will unfold in class that simply can’t be made up. That is the nature of life. Choices in favor of some opportunities rule out other opportunities.
2. Be on time or early, not late; complete all work due on time.
- Being 10 minutes late to class on two occasions adds up to one absence.
- Late assignments: If you have trouble and need more time, talk to me: I will sometimes offer an extension of one class meeting for late assignments. No more than that.
- Work that is more than one class meeting late will receive a reduced grade:
- Two class meetings late: Reduced by one letter grade.
- Three class meetings late: Reduced by two letter grades.
- Exception: Work due at the end of the semester cannot be late.
3. Participate. Share your thoughts. Listen actively to the instructor and classmates. Have a notebook open and ready at all times, even if there’s nothing to note. “The readiness is all.” (Shakespeare).
4. Keep up, even if class is canceled: If class is canceled due to weather, instructor illness, or other emergency, all the work due on that date is still due on that date. We will just miss out on in-class discussion that day. In other words, if class is canceled, we will not skip a week on the schedule of assignments. Just more to talk about at the next meeting.
5. Be clean, courteous and responsible: No food or beverages (except water) in class. Clean up after yourself. In computer labs, turn off monitors before you leave. Log off. If it’s the last class of the day, go through the shut-down routine from the start menu. Turn out lights.
6. Be Honest. Your work should be your own, current work, not a high school paper, not a paper written for another college class, not the work of another student, family member or stranger, not writing taken without attribution from a book, recording or Internet source. For more information, see “plagiarism” in 2006-2007 Manual for Written Communication.
7. Be respectful toward fellow students and your instructor. Don’t take up class time by trying to conference with the instructor when class should be starting. Respect differences of opinions and different levels of ability. Where you are weak, another may be strong, and vice versa. Find ways to cooperate and learn from one another, even (sometimes especially) through differences. Don’t insult. Any harassment is a violation of university policy. See 2006-2007 Manual for Written Communication.
8. Students with disabilities are welcome. Please note:
MSU welcomes students with disabilities into the university’s education programs and activities. Students with disability-related needs for reasonable accommodations should contact the Office of Disability Services. Before final decisions can be made about allowing accommodations, students must provide sufficient documentation. Contact Julie Snow, Director, Office of Disability Services, phone: 507-389-2825 (Voice/TTY) julie.snow@mnsu.edu
9. Be studious and prepared: Bring to class all assignments and texts relevant to the day’s work and the next meeting’s assignments. If unsure, bring all texts. Do all required reading carefully. Be prepared to participate. Write, rewrite, and edit carefully. Don’t merely edit first drafts. Work hard. Improve. Learn. Grow. Live fully. Bring passion to your work. You only go to college once, usually. Make it the best learning experience you can.
10. Avoid distractions: a) Turn off cell phones during class, and no text-messaging. Even if you can set cell phones to vibrate without ringing, turn them off. Eliminate the potential distraction to you and the class. b) When and if class meets in a computer lab, during class time, no email or Internet use unrelated to class. If class meets in a multi-hour block with breaks, it’s better to use the break time to visit with classmates, to get up and stretch, to get a drink of water. Cell phones and online tools are great and helpful, but they become distractions too easily during class time. During break time, use them rarely and with discretion, making certain your use doesn't stray beyond the borders of break time and into class time. Violations of this rule may, at the instructor’s discretion, count as being late for class. Twice will count as an absence. Be prudent. Don’t be distracted. Stay focused.
ASSIGNMENTS:
There will be many written assignments, including four formal papers, but even more informal writing to prepare you for writing the papers. My general approach is to have many low-pressure writing assignments where students can learn, make mistakes, correct them, and work toward not only “getting it right,” but developing good writing habits so that they rarely “get it wrong.”
UNGRADED-BUT-REQUIRED, OR “PASS-FAIL”ASSIGNMENTS:
Some assignments will be ungraded but required, or pass-fail (UBR/PF). Most students do fine on these, but a few have to re-do them if they mess up, get lazy, don’t follow the directions or don’t meet the requirements of the assignment. I tend not to mark these down for spelling, grammar or punctuation issues, but I notice areas where you may need work. Purposes:
1. To get you writing a lot
2. To introduce certain new skills a bit at a time
3. To get you to pay closer attention to your writing habits
4. Once you pay attention, to help you improve them.
Examples of short UBR/PF assignments:
- Recording your assumptions and guesses: Writing what you know about a topic, and your opinions on the topic, before reading an article on it.
- Summarizing and/or outlining an article, chapter, or section you’ve read.
- Recording how your knowledge expanded and/or opinion may have been altered by the article you read, and new questions it raises.
- Doing brief self-evaluations of your summaries and first drafts.
- Finding peer drafts whose self-evaluations indicate strengths and weaknesses are complimentary to your own.
- Reading and commenting on peer summaries, drafts and self-evaluations.
- Contributing to online (D2L) class discussion about a reading or issue.
- Annotated bibliographies.
- Practice writing types of introductory paragraphs.
- And more as requested.
READING AND ESSAY UNITS/TOPIC GROUPS:
Students will write four graded essays. Readings, and the student essays written in response, will be arranged in units. First drafts will be ungraded but required, and will be posted in designated discussion forums on D2L (Desire to Learn) for discussion, collaboration and feedback. Final drafts will also be posted to D2L.
LIST OF READING AND ESSAY UNITS/TOPIC GROUPS:
1. Global Warming and Environment
2. Who Controls Public Opinion and Policy, and How?
3. Rich and Poor, Discrimination and Oppression
4. War, Intervention, and the Military-Industrial Complex
TURNING IN ASSIGNMENTS To Instructor & Class:
Students will email most assignments to the instructor, and also post them to designated discussion forums on D2L (Desire to Learn). Students may be asked to submit them online to Turnitin. Student work in this section of this class is not merely a private communication between student and instructor, but is contributed to the whole class and made available for collaborative efforts to learn. In the past, students have viewed this not as a burden but as a great tool and advantage. Grades are still private and confidential, and will not be posted for others to see, but assigned work and feedback from peers and instructor are contributed as public comments to help the whole class learn. Often students learn as much from their peers’ essays, from their successes and mistakes, and from the feedback given to their peers, as they do from feedback they receive on their own writing.
GRADING:
Grades reflect an instructor’s effort to discern the level of a student’s ability and achievement. It’s more important to focus on how much you learn, and how to learn it in a way that will be of lasting value, than to focus on grades as in any way detached from learning. Do your best, and I will try to do my best. If it helps to put your mind at ease, you might appreciate knowing that my past students have found me to be a fair grader. For more information, see the course blog.
If a first draft shows only editing and no major revision or needed improvements in the final draft, the final draft may be eligible for no more than a “C” grade.
Note: This grading criteria is tentative and subject to change at the instructor's discretion.
Essay 1: 20%
Essay 2: 20%
Essay 3: 20%
Essay 4: 20%
In-class
participation: 10%
D2L
participation*: 10%
* D2L tracks individual student usage, reading and posting.
If UBR/PF assignments are missing or not revised as requested to correct deficiencies, they will count against your grade the same as absences.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
